Where Strength Begins
by Song Angel
Summary: Hermione and Snape are thrown together by a few very convenient twists of fate and the help of Dumbledore, McGonagall and Ginny. : This is my first fanfic! I'm told that it's hilarious. Making a few changes and corrections. Let me know if you see anything that should be corrected.
1. A New Apprentice

_To those that are familiar with this story: No, this isn't a new chapter to this old story. I'm just going back and touching up in a few places. But, if you'd like to re-read, feel free._

**A New Apprentice**

Severus Snape glared irritably at the headmaster with his beetle black eyes. The old man was, once again, interfering with his work, peace of mind and sanity. "I don't need help," he said stubbornly. "I have no desire for an apprentice."

Albus Dumbledore smiled gently at the furious professor. "I understand Severus," said the older man. "You've demonstrated your capabilities of managing everything. But the Dark Lord's increase in activity will add to your work load."

Professor Snape unconsciously rubbed his forearm where he bore the Dark Mark. "I have handled it before," he said shortly.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled behind his spectacles. "Of course you have," he said. He pushed a plate of cookies toward Snape, who declined it with a sneer. Dumbledore cleared his throat and looked the younger man in the eye. "It is my wish for you to have an apprentice. Someone to help you and lighten the burden you carry. You do much for the school," he added with a smile.

After a moment, Snape nodded grudgingly. Dumbledore beamed and reached out to pick up a cookie. Snape pointed his wand covertly at the plate of cookies and muttered a spell. The cookies sprouted spider-like legs causing Dumbledore to withdraw his hand in surprise. The bewitched cookies ran right off the desk and hid themselves about the headmaster's office. "Oh really Severus," Dumbledore admonished, although he was chuckling. "Those were my favorites. And they were fresh too."

Snape crossed his arms over his chest and settled back in his chair. His expression was one of amusement. Seeing this, Dumbledore decided to add another piece of information.

"Well, Hermione Granger has already agreed to assist you," Dumbledore said, attempting to sound casual. Snape bolted upright in his chair and opened his mouth to protest but Dumbledore held up a hand. "Severus, you'd be hard pressed to find a more reliable student. She's a lovely young woman and she's quite capable of balancing her classes with extra work with you."

Snape scowled at the old wizard. "I suppose I should be grateful that you informed me of my assistant at all," he said angrily.

"This will be good for you, my boy," Dumbledore said happily, ignoring Snape's irritation. "You had better head toward your classroom. Wouldn't want you to be late on the first day of classes." He grinned as Snape stood up and stalked out of the office.

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger sat in the potions classroom at the table farthest from Snape's desk. All of the students were glancing back at the door wondering where their potions master was. He was never late for classes.

Snape stepped into the room and walked up to the front of the class with his robes billowing ominously behind him. He tapped the chalkboard with his wand and instructions for brewing a rather complicated potion appeared. "Get to work," he snapped.

Harry, Ron and Hermione glanced at each other and started working. Hermione worked steadily, occasionally nudging the boys and giving them a warning look before they added an incorrect ingredient to their potions. She finished before anyone else in the class.

Snape looked up and noticed the Hermione had just completed the potion. He strode over to where she was standing. He scowled down in the cauldron, but the potion looked perfect. "Put some into a vial, label it and bring it to my desk," Snape said gruffly, before going back to his desk. Hermione quickly did as he asked and stood in front of his desk. She laid the labeled vial on the desk and looked up at the professor expectantly.

Professor Snape just looked at her for a moment. "Well, Miss Granger, you have once again finished before the rest of your incompetent classmates," he said silkily. This statement awarded him with a few glares from the students still working on the potion. "Normally I would find this irritating," he continued, "but today it's proves to most convenient."

Hermione looked puzzled. "Why is that, Professor?"

"Because the headmaster has burdened me with you as an apprentice," he said, smirking when she scowled, "I'm forced to make use of you to keep him off my back. I have much to do today, so you will be going to the hospital wing to get a list of the various potions Madam Pomfrey needs. You may leave now and give me the list at dinner."

"Yes, sir," Hermione replied, turning walking back to the table. She ignored Ron and Harry's curious stares and gathered her belongings. "See you later," she whispered to them. She walked out of the classroom and headed toward the hospital wing.


	2. Working with Snape

Harry and Ron arrived in the Great Hall and headed straight for the Gryffindor table. Ron immediately began piling food onto his plate. He sighed in satisfaction as he shoveled roasted potatoes into his mouth. Harry looked at his red-haired friend in amusement and then said "Where on earth is Hermione? I haven't seen her since she left potions."

Ron looked up and was about to answer when something caught his eye. Struggling to swallow, he pointed at the staff table. Harry looked over and saw Hermione standing at the staff table, talking to Snape. Snape at first looked frustrated and then his expression changed to one of resignation. He said something that Harry couldn't hear and then Hermione was headed toward the Gryffindor table looking pleased.

"Hey Hermione!" Harry and Ron said, although Ron had a more difficult time due to his mouth still being full of potatoes. Hermione sat down across from them and smiled. "Are you gonna tell us what's going on?" Harry said. "Or do we have to guess?"

"Well," Hermione began, "Dumbledore has asked me to be Professor Snape's apprentice. I have agreed to it and I left Potions to go get a list of the potions that Madam Pomfrey needs. I had to take Snape the list and just now, he's agreed to allow me to help him brew them." She said all of this in a rush, wondering what Harry and Ron would say to this information.

"What?" Harry and Ron said together. "Did you turn into a nutter over the summer?" Ron said incredulously. "Why would you want to work with that greasy git? The man is just plain evil." He shook is head and looked warily at the staff table where the potions master sat, scowling at everyone.

Harry grinned at Ron and then looked back at Hermione. "I'm a little surprised," he said to her, cocking his head to one side. His green eyes searched her face with concern. "You're really ok with it? I mean, not just becauese Dumbledore requested it."

Hermione looked back at where Professor Snape was sitting. "He's just awful sometimes," Hermione said with a grimace. "But, he's really good with potions and I think it might be interesting to learn more from him." Her expression was thoughful. "Besides, there may be more to him than meets the eye. Dumbledore trusts him and seems to like him. It's not like I'm not familiar with his hateful comments. I just can't help but wonder what makes this guy tick."

"Don't think I want to know," Ron said with a shudder, making the other two laugh. "He's a git and I don't very much care why."

"Oh honestly Ron," Hermione said exasperated. She hurried through her dinner, keeping an eye on the time. Once she was finished eating, she looked at her watch. "I better go and meet with Snape. He told me to come by the classroom after dinner and we would get to work."

"Don't be late Miss Granger," Ron said, attempting to imitate Snape's silky voice, "Or I will be forced to dock one hundred house points, because I am an overgrown bat."

"Don't quit your day job, Ron," Harry said smirking. "Good luck, Hermione. Don't let him get to you."

When Hermione had left the Great Hall, Harry and Ron looked at each other. "There goes a brave soul," Harry said laughing.

"She's my hero," Ron said, dramatically clutching his chest with one hand and pretending to swipe at a stray tear with the other.

Hermione raised a hand to nervously knock of the heavy wooden door to the potions classroom. "Enter," said a deep voice from inside the room. She walked in and walked toward the cauldron the Snape had set up on one of the tables. She looked at Snape, waiting for his instructions.

"I have decided," Snape said stiffly, "to allow you to brew one of the potions on your own. I wish to watch observe you." Hermione tensed, and Snape continued. "This will allow me to take note of your methods and be sure that we will be able to brew potions efficiently. Also, I would like to know that I can trust you to work independently if I must be away."

Hermione visibly relaxed and took the piece of parchment with instructions on it from Snape. She worked quickly and easily, Snape noticed. _Perhaps this won't be so bad, _Snape thought. _She's my best student. And she certainly isn't painful to look at. _Snape scowled at this thought and shook his head to get rid of it. Clearly, he spent to much time alone in the dungeon.

Within an hour, Hermione had produced the potion. Her curly brown was swept up into a messy bun and her brown eyes looked tired. Snape looked down into cauldron and she was surprised to see him smile with satisfaction. "Excellent," he said softly. Hermione blushed but made no comment. She wasn't going to risk tainting the first compliment she had ever received from the surly potions professor. She had no doubt that he could easily squash any pleasure she got from the experience.

"Well, that will be enough for today Miss Granger," Snape said smoothly. "We will work on another potion tomorrow at the same time. Don't be late."

"Yes, sir," Hermione replied, surpressing a yawn. She flashed him a small smile and left the classroom.


	3. Confrontation in the Hall

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter doesn't belong to me. Sad, but true. JKR is a genius._

Hermione woke up the next morning with the sun streaming through her window. She was the head girl and so she had her own bedroom. The room was decorated elaborately in red and gold: Gryffindor colors.

Hermione smiled and leisurely wandered into her private bathroom. She took a long, hot shower and then dried herself with a towel. She dressed herself in jeans and a fitted blue t-shirt. Her long, curly brown hair was held back in a loose ponytail. She inspected her appearance in the mirror before hurrying out of her room.

A drawling voice met her ears as she walked toward the Great Hall for breakfast. Hermione turned to see Draco Malfoy, the new head boy, walking in her direction. He was followed closely by Crabbe and Goyle who were glaring at her menacingly.

"Granger," Malfoy spat her Hermione. She scowled. "Why they ever allowed a filthy mudblood like you to be head girl, I'll never understand," he said with a sneer.

"Life is a mystery Malfoy," she replied coldly. "I've always been amazed that those twits behind you apparently manage to dress themselves every morning." She smirked and turned around to go into the Great Hall.

Before she had even taken a step she heard Draco mutter the beginning of some spell. She then heard another voice hissing "_Expelliarmus!_" cutting Malfoy off just before he managed to curse Hermione.

Hermione whirled around just in time to see Malfoy's wand fly out of his hand and land on the floor several feet away. Professor Snape was standing there pointing his wand at a startled Malfoy. He looked furious.

"Attacking an unarmed student with her back turned," Snape said angrily. "And in the hall for all to see. Move along now, and keep your wand to yourself," he said lowering his own wand. "Unless you want detention every night this month," he added glaring. Malfoy hurriedly grabbed his fallen wand and stalked into the Great Hall, sneering at Hermione when he passed her. Crabbe and Goyle followed quickly when Snape glared pointedly at them.

"Th-Thank you," Hermione stammered when Snape turned his gaze to her.

"Miss Granger, it's not wise to provoke Mr. Malfoy," he said stiffly. When she started to protest he cut her off. "He may have initiated the confrontation but running your mouth, as you have a tendency to do, makes it worse. If I had not been close by, he would have easily hit you with a spell before your wand was drawn."

Hermione frowned at him, but nodded. Soundlessly they both walked into the Great Hall. Before going to the staff table, Snape turned to her again. "I had forgotten last night that today is Saturday. You may pass on potion making tonight since you undoubtedly will want to spend that time with your friends," he said with a sneer in the direction of Harry and Ron. "We can resume on Monday evening."

"Oh, I wouldn't mind working tonight," she replied with a small smile. "We don't want to have all the needed potions to pile up on us," she said reasonably. "The sooner we finish with all of Madam Pomfrey's potions, the sooner we can move on to other things."

Snape considered her for a moment with a thoughtful frown on his face. "Seven o'clock then," he said curtly before turning away from her and going to the staff table.

Hermione sat down across from Harry and Ron with a sigh of relief. Ron was eating his eggs with such enjoyment that it was almost indecent. Harry was eating toast and glancing sideways at Ron with a look that was both amused and disgusted. "How did it go with Snape last night?" Harry asked turning away from Ron's rapturous eating.

"Not bad, actually," Hermione replied watching Rong eat with mild interest. "He had me do the potion by myself so that he could observe me. He was a bit stiff, but he wasn't cruel. He was almost polite."

"Wow," Harry said, surprised. "That's good. I wasn't aware that he knew how to be nice."

"That's not the only thing," Hermione said lowering her voice. She then related to them what had happened in the hallway with Snape and Malfoy. Both boys looked positively furious.

"The stupid prat," Ron said furiously. "Trying to curse you when your back was turned. I have a mind to walk right over there and shove my fork up at that git's nose." He fiercely thrust his fork in a upward motion to demonstrate. Hermione bit her lip to prevent herself from smiling and started eating some toast.

"The coward," Harry said scowling at the arrogant Slytherin across the room. "I just hope he doesn't try that again. We'll have to keep an eye on him," he said casting a worried look at Hermione.

"Oh, Harry, I'll be fine," she assured him. Harry and Ron looked doubtful. "Relax guys. Let's just go outside and enjoy the ourselves for a little while. I'm working with Snape again tonight."

"But, it's Saturday!" Ron protested. "You should be spending time with us and getting a break from work. Snape's such a git," he added glaring at the dark man at the staff table.

"He was going to give me the day off," Hermione said soothingly. "I volunteered to work with him tonight." At Harry and Ron's looks of disbelief, she said "Madam Pomfrey needs a lot of potion and we'll have to work on them so it doesn't pile up. But, I'm free until seven," she added with a smile.

This seemed to pacify Harry and Ron somewhat. "Well, let's go then," Harry said with a smile. "We can go see Hagrid."

The three Gryffindor's rushed out of the Great Hall in a hurry to get outside. They didn't pay any attention to Malfoy, who was glaring at them from the Slytherin table. They also failed to notice Snape, who was discretely keeping an eye on Malfoy.


	4. Sugar High

Weeks went by with Hermione dutifully brewing side by side with Professor Snape. To her surprise, she didn't find him difficult to work with. He was certainly not among the friendliest of people, but she didn't mind much. Snape managed to be funny if you could look past his caustic remarks. He still snapped at her sometimes, but she appreciated his attempts at being courteous. Working with such an obviously brilliant man made Hermione feel that it was worth it to endure his sarcasm.

To Snape's irritation, Professor McGonagall found it highly entertaining that he was getting along so well with Hermione. She made it a point to smile sweetly at the potions master and mention how nice it was to see him and the head girl working so well together at least a few times during the week. He would quickly excuse the matter by saying that Dumbledore had made him promise to be kind to the girl. That of course was true, but Snape did take some interest in Hermione Granger. She seemed to really respect him and she showed maturity well beyond that of most of her peers. He grudgingly admitted to himself that she was truly brilliant and struggled to not call her a know-it-all when they were working together.

The students soon found Halloween upon them. Much to the delight of the students, the house elves saw fit to add plenty of sweets to the menu. At dinner, Ron looked gleefully at the table to see the usual items for dinner along with many dishes that were laden with chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and cockroach clusters. Needless to say, most of the students had a difficult time sleeping that night because of all the sugar they had consumed.

The next morning, Hermione sat down next to Harry at the Gryffindor table. She had avoided most of the sweets the night before. To her surprise, there were more sugary items on the table along with the breakfast foods. She once again passed on the sweets and put some toast on her plate. Harry, on the other hand gladly helped himself to a few chocolate frogs to go with his toast and eggs. Ron appeared a few minutes later followed by his sister Ginny. They sat down across from Harry and Hermione, smiling at the array of treats that were part of breakfast.

"More sweets!" Ron explaimed with a ridiculously big grin. "This is great."

"Yes," Hermione said with a frown. "The house-elves must be feeling extra generous."

"You're not having any?" Ginny asked trying to tempt her with a cockroach cluster.

"No," Hermione said loftily. "My parents are dentists. I've never had many sweets."

After a few minutes, Harry, Ron and Ginny were nearly giddy due to the extra sugar in their diet recently. Hermione noticed that even some of the teachers seemed a bit jittery. _I guess Ron's not the only one with a sweet tooth, _she thought with a smile.

"Still working ok with Snape?" Ginny asked looking at her. Hermione smiled. Her friends had a tendency to ask her about it frequently as if they thought it was only a matter of time before Snape did something absolutely horrible.

"It's just fine," Hermione replied with a reassuring smile.

Harry grinned suddenly and had a sudden impulse to do a sugar induced impression of a muggle news reporter. He seized his spoon and spoke into it as if it were a microphone. "Miss Granger, could you please tell us what it's like to work with Count Dracula?" He promptly thrust the spoon into Hermione's face, causing her to jump back slightly.

Hermione struggled to maintain a serious expression and voice. "Well, Harry," she began, "He's been moderately polite this whole time. He's even let me make potions independently without breathing down my neck. Snape has even offered me tea while we were taking a break. Overall, it's been a positive experience." She raised an eyebrow at Harry in amusement.

"Fascinating," Harry said in his exaggerated news reporter voice, once again holding his "microphone" up to his own mouth. "And do you think that he will suck out your blood when he's finished using you for his evil potion making purposes?"

He held the spoon out to Hermione again, but she went into a fit of giggles. Harry could no longer contain himself, and he laughed as well. The spoon fell out of his hand and landed with a clatter on his plate.

Ron and Ginny just stared at the other two. Their expressions were utterly bewildered. They, of course, knew nothing of microphones. "What the bloody hell was that?" Ron said incredulously.

"Nutters," Ginny mumbled.

Severus Snape sat at the staff table watching Hermione Granger and Harry Potter with interest. He nudged Professor McGonagall and said "Well, Minerva, it seems that Potter has lost his marbles." At her questioning look, he added "He's talking to his spoon."

Minerva looked over to where Harry was sitting. She looked back at Severus to retort, but his eyes widened slightly and he pointed at the Gryffindor table. Minerva whirled around to look when he said "Potter just nearly shoved that spoon up Granger's nose!" He was struggling not to look amused.

Minerva looked completely perplexed. "What on earth?" she muttered. At this point, several other professors had noticed Severus's uncharacteristic interest in the Gryffindor table, and were now watching Harry and Hermione with mingled confusion and amusement. Dumbledore was smiling widely.

Severus's lips twitched involuntarily when Hermione's peals of laughter drifted up to the staff table. "And, now they're laughing like lunatics," he said quietly to Minerva. He smirked smugly when she scowled at him. His smirk disappeared when Minerva suddenly smiled.

"Now Severus, why is it that you were watching the Gryffindor table in the first place?" she said raising an eyebrow slyly. "Keeping an eye on your little apprentice?"

Severus glared at her for a moment. "Well, it was very odd behavior," he returned smoothly. "It certainly would be difficult not to notice a student conversing with his silverware."

"Oh, of course Severus," Minerva said in a syrupy voice and smirking at him.

"My goodness, they seem to be having a good time," Dumbledore said cheerfully observing the two chuckling Gryffindors. "Miss Granger will be a thrill to work with tonight," he said grinning at Professor Snape.

"It's Potter's fault," Severus replied dismissively. "He's the one that been gorging himself with sweets. Miss Granger hasn't been eating any of it."

"And you know this how?" Minerva said smiling wickedly.

"I... just noticed," he said with a shrug. Dumbledore and Minerva exchange conspiratorial smiles. "I have to make sure that my apprentice hasn't been consuming too many sweets, as she would be more unbearable than usual," he snapped. This just earned him more grins from the other two.

Harry and Hermione gradually calmed down. Their faces were flushed from their laughter. "Harry you are in a strange mood today," Hermione said grinning. "What possessed you to attack me with your spoon?"

Before Harry could respond, Ron said "Yeah, what was that? I don't get why you were talking to your spoon."

"It's a muggle thing," Hermione and Harry said at the same time. They looked at each other and grinned again. Ron and Ginny looked at each other and shrugged.

Later that day, Hermione was asked to stay after class for a moment by Professor Snape. Her friends looked at her curiously but she said "It's ok. I'll see you all at dinner." Harry and Ron left her, and Hermione tentatively headed toward the potions master's desk.

"Miss Granger, I want to know why Mr. Potter attempted to assault you with his silverware at breakfast," he said stiffly.

Hermione smiled slightly. _I bet he's been wondering about that this whole time, _she thought. _He's trying to sound annoyed rather than curious. _ She gave Professor Snape a brief explanation of Harry's muggle news reporter bit. Professor Snape listened with an expression that suggested that he was sorry that he even asked. Hermione smiled a bit sheepishly. "Harry was being a bit silly, which is out of character for him," she said in embarassment.

"Indeed," Snape said, managing to keep his face neutral. "You may go. I will see you tonight." He sat down at his desk.

"Yes, Professor," Hermione said politely. She left quietly, but before she closed the door behind her, she heard a silky voice chuckle from inside the room. She smiled to herself and hurried to her next class.


	5. Summoned

Ron and Harry found Hermione finishing her homework in the library, much to the surprise of absolutely no one. "Whatcha doin' 'Mione?" Ron asked sitting down at the table next to her.

"Homework," she replied. "Not that you would know anything about that," she added nastily.

"Ouch," Ron said in an injured voice. "Why do you have to be so harsh with us?"

"Why do you have to ask such stupid questions?" Hermione quipped. She looked up at him and grinned. "I guess I shouldn't expect anything better from you two," she said sighing dramatically.

"Ugh..." Harry said disgustedly. "For a second there, I thought you were being possessed by Snape." He grinned when Hermione rolled her eyes. "And speaking of Snape, what did he want after Potions today?" He looked at her curiously.

"Oh that," Hermione said smirking. "Actually, he wanted to know what was so funny at breakfast today. You know, with your ridiculous little spoon interview." She giggled at the memory. "He tried to make it sound as if he were looking for a reason to give you detention for attempting to assault me with your silverware. I just explained what happened and then I was allowed to leave, but I actually heard him laugh when I left."

Harry chuckled. "I guess that's better than him thinking we're a couple of nutters talking to spoons."

Ron looked from Harry to Hermione. "Are either of you going to bother explaining this to me?" he demanded. "Or does it not matter if I still think you're raving lunatics?"

"Ok Ron," Hermione said laughing. "Let's go to dinner and we'll explain it to you."

Ron agreed eagerly and helped Hermione put all of her homework back into her bag. Ron trotted off toward the Great Hall with Hermione and Harry behind him.

Harry took on the task of patiently explaining the use of microphones to Ron and Ginny, who was now sitting next to Hermione. Ron looked thoughtful for a moment. "So, that's what you and Hermione were doing this morning," he said slowly. "I suppose that is funny."

Harry smiled but suddenly looked wary when Ron picked up his spoon. "So, I would talk into the microphone like this," Ron said holding the spoon to him own mouth. "Then, when you were to answer, I'd hold it out to you." He thrust the spoon at Harry, managing to hit Harry in the face and breaking his glasses.

"Owww... Bloody hell, Ron!" Harry exclaimed.

Ron looked horrified, his face turning almost as red as his hair. Hermione and Ginny snorted with laughter. Harry sighed heavily, causing the girls to laugh even harder.

"Let me help Harry," Hermione said taking out her wand and struggling to control her laughter. She pointed her wand at his glasses confidently and said "_Reparo_." Harry's glasses were repaired instantly. She smiled in satisfaction and put her wand away.

"Thanks," Harry said gratefully. "Don't worry about it Ron," he said smiling.

Ron was looking distinctly flustered. He smiled sheepishly and began eating in order to ignore the amused looks on his friends' faces.

"I wish Severus had seen that," said Albus Dumbledore chuckling. He was sitting at the staff table talking to Minerva McGonagall when he witnessed Ron whacking Harry in the face with a spoon.

Minerva laughed. "Yes, Severus would have loved that little display." She looked at the empty chair next to her. "Albus," she said seriously, "Severus isn't often summoned during the day when he may be needed at the school. Is he in danger?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Unfortunately, Severus is always in danger. We can only wait and see."

Hermione parted with her friends and headed towards Professor Snape's office. She stopped when she heard someone behind her. "Miss Granger," said the kind voice of Dumbledore. She turned to look at him curiously. "Your work with Professor Snape has been canceled for tonight," he said gently. He ran his hand down his long white beard absently.

"Why?" she asked, confused. His next words made her blood run cold.

"He has been summoned by Voldemort," the headmaster said heavily. His kind eyes were sad and weary.

"Oh no," Hermione said softly. "How terrible. Poor Professor Snape," she said in a whisper.

"We hope he'll be back some time during the night," Dumbledore told her. "But we'll have to wait and see. You may return to your room for the night. Don't worry. He's done this sort of thing before," he said trying to assure not only her, but himself.

Hermione nodded and walked away, leaving the worried headmaster to his troubled thoughts.

Back in her private room, Hermione prepared herself for bed and set her clothes for the next day on a chair. Her thoughts kept straying to the potions master. _I hope he's ok, _she thought. _Dumbledore looked so worried- No! Don't think about it._

Hermione curled up in her bed and willed herself to relax. Eventually, sleep overtook her.

In the boys' dormitories, Harry woke up in the middle of the night to a searing pain in his scar. He felt dizzy and thought his head might just split open. Slowly, the pain began receding, leaving Harry feeling nauseous and panting heavily. He rubbed his aching forehead. _I wonder what Voldemort is up to now? _he thought. He briefly considered going to Dumbledore to explain about the pain in his scar. However, he rejected this thought due to the fact that since Voldemort had returned to power, Harry's scar ached frequently; Sometimes more intensely than others. He finally decided to just try and get more sleep. He'd discuss it with Ron and Hermione the next day.

At 3 a.m., Albus Dumbledore was looking out of the window in his office. Conveniently enough, it overlooked the front gate of Hogwarts. He had just been notified by his Phoenix, Fawkes, that Severus Snape had just apparated outside the gate. Albus watched in relief as Severus made his way slowly onto the school grounds. The pale skin of the potions master was bathed in moonlight. Suddenly, he collapsed in a heap on the grass.

Albus shook his head sorrowfully. He wasn't surprised in the least. It was by force of habit that the headmaster watched at the window upon Fawkes' announcement of Professor Snape's return. On many such occasions Albus had been forced to help Severus back into the castle due to various injuries. Dumbledore wrote a quick note on a piece of parchment and put it into the waiting beak of Fawkes. "To Minerva," he murmured to the beautiful bird. Fawkes disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Dumbledore rushed out of his office and hurried down the hallways. Upon getting outside, he easily spotted the fallen potions master and went to kneel by his side. Minerva arrived just moments later.

"Albus," Minerva said struggling to catch her breath. "Why didn't you just come down here as soon as you knew he was back? Must you wait until he passes out?" She was looking Severus over for serious injuries.

"He's less likely to accept our help if he's conscious, Minerva," he said ruefully. At her glare he added "I wanted to wait just in case he was being watched. He could be followed some time."

Minerva nodded and then looked back down at Severus. "This looks bad Albus," she said quietly.

Albus rose mutely and waved his wand over Severus' body, levitating it. They headed back into the castle, Snape's body floating along beside them. "We'll have to keep close watch over him," Albus said tiredly. Minerva nodded in agreement. The next few hours would be very long indeed.


	6. Sleeping Snape

Harry, Ron and Hermione were quietly discussing the events of the night before at breakfast the next morning. Harry had immediately plunged into a discription of the horrible pain he'd experienced. "It was bad," Harry said shaking his head. "My scar hasn't hurt that much in a long time."

"You didn't have any dreams about You-Know-Who, did you?" Ron asked nervously in a low voice.

"No," Harry reassured him him. "Those Occlumency lessons stopped me from having dreams about him. But, I can still feel some of his stronger emotions." He looked at Hermione and noticed that she had turned very pale and she was shaking slightly. "What's wrong Hermione?"

"Professor Snape was summoned to Voldemort," she said quietly. Ron shuddered violently, but the other two ignored him.

"What?" Harry said in alarm.

"Yesteday, I ran into Dumbledore when I was on my way to meet Snape," Hermione said in a quiet, shaky voice. "He told me that Snape had been summoned. Harry, Dumbledore looked so worried. And with your scar hurting like that..." she trailed off looking anxious.

"Relax," Ron said in an attempt to soothe her. "It's just Snape. I mean if the great greasy git hasn't snuffed it by now-"

"Shut up Ron!" Harry exclaimed. Hermione was looking horrified. "Do us a favor and don't help," Harry said frowning at Ron. He looked back at Hermione. "Don't worry. It'll be ok. If Professor Snape isn't back this afternoon, we'll go see if Dumbledore knows anything."

Hermione nodded. "I'm going to Ancient Runes now. I'll see you later," she said getting up and leaving the table.

Harry looked at Ron raising his eyebrows. "Here's some pumpkin juice for you," Harry said handing Ron a goblet. "You must be parched after shoving your foot into your mouth like that," he said sarcastically. Ron grimaced and turned back to his plate to finish eating.

Hermione walked down the hallways toward the Ancient Runes classroom. She yelped in surprise when she nearly walked into Dumbldore. "Oh!" she said. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you. My mind was elsewhere." She smiled apologetically.

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, smiling kindly at her. Hermione noticed that the headmaster looked exhausted. He said "Miss Granger, I wonder if I could trouble you for your assistance?" At her hesitation, he continued. "I will excuse you from your classes and have Mr. Potter bring any homework you are assigned," Dumbledore said smiling.

"Yes sir," Hermione replied. The headmaster gestured for her to follow him and she obeyed. They walked down several hallways and ended up in the dungeons. Hermione looked curiously at the headmaster but said nothing.

Dumbledore stopped in front of a large portrait of a very stately looking old wizard. The headmaster muttered something that Hermione couldn't hear and the picture swung foward to reveal a heavy wooden door. Dumbledore opened the door and ushered Hermione inside.

Hermione looked around to find herself in a sitting room. There was a black leather couch and a large fire place but she could see little else because the room was so dimly lit. "This way my dear," Dumbledore said, leading her through a door on the left side of the room. To her dismay, Hermione discovered the second room was someone's bedroom. She looked over at the bed to see Professor Snape.

"Oh my," Hermione said softly, her eyes widening. Snape's face a little paler than usual. He looked battered and she could see angry red marks on his neck. "He's back," she said looking over the sleeping man.

"He came back last night," Dumbledore said quietly. "He passed out on the lawn. He hasn't been awake since then, so we're not sure what exactly happened. But, we are fairly certain that the Cruciatus Curse was used on him because he's still having tremors."

"But, what can I do?" Hermione asked looking up at Dumbledore.

"Professor McGonagall and I have been watching over him," Dumbledore said looking at Snape's sleeping form. "However, we have other duties to attend to. Professor Snape rather dislikes the hospital wing and I'd prefer for the other students not to see him in this state. We wouldn't leave you without adequate instructions and you'd still be able to have meals with your classmates. Since, it's Friday, you'll miss today's classes, but he should be well enough to teach by Monday."

"Alright then," Hermione said with a smile. "I'd be happy to help."

"Wonderful," Dumbledore said, looking delighted. "His condition is improving, but he may not be able to do much independent movement." He sighed. "I suppose I should bring Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley down here. It'll be difficult to explain this without being overheard." He swiftly left the room.

Hermione looked at her sleeping professor. Beads of sweat stood out on his forehead and his whole body appeared to be trembling. She reached out to put her hand on his forehead, only to find that he was running a fever. She found a large bowl on his side table filled with cold water. She dipped a piece of cloth into it and then wrung it out. Gently, she placed the cloth on Snapes forehead in an attempt to make him more comfortable. She smiled when an almost inaudible sigh escaped his lips.

A few minutes later, Dumbledore returned to the bedroom followed by Harry and Ron. Ron's eyes widened and he said "Snape's in here!" Harry, Hermione and Dumbledore just looked at him for a moment.

"Well spotted Ron," Harry said snickering.

"Professor Snape was summoned by Voldemort last night," Dumbledore said. "He returned with many serious injuries. Miss Granger will be aiding in his recovery so that he won't be left unattended too often."

"Is he ok?" Harry asked, sounding uncomfortable. He was clearly unnerved by the idea of being in Snape's private rooms. He kept looking anxiously at Snape as if he expected the professor to suddenly jump out of bed and deduct points.

"He will be fine," Dumbledore assured Harry. "He's very strong."

Ron was looking at the sleeping man with the utmost curiousity. "Why is he all twitchy like that?" he asked suddenly.

Dumbledore sighed and Hermione said "Those tremors are an after effect of the Cruciatus Curse."

"You're joking!" Ron exclaimed leaving forward and watching the potions master interestedly.

"As funny as that is, no," Hermione said scathingly. She was shocked to hear Dumbledore chuckle. She looked at him in disbelief.

"My dear, you have spent too much time in the presence of Severus Snape," said the headmaster. His eyes twinkled. "I do believe he has rubbed off on you." Harry smirked at that comment. "Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said, turning to Ron. "Torture by use of the Cruciatus Curse is not something we find amusing," he said gently.

Ron's face reddened. "Oh, no sir. I didn't think it was funny at all. I just thought it was sort of interesting," he said in an embarrassed tone.

Hermione shook her head. "You two had better go back to class," she said quietly. "I'll see you both at dinner." Harry turned and left the room. Ron paused and started to say something, but he thought better of it when Hermione crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at him. He turned and left with Harry. Hermione grinned at Dumbledore. "Ron's a nice guy, but sometimes I wonder if he leaves his brain in his trunk." Dumbledore chuckled.

"I have wondered the same thing myself, Miss Granger," said a quiet silky voice. Hermione jumped in surprise. She turned to see Professor Snape awake and looking very pleased that he had startled her.

"Severus," Dumbledore said affectionately. "We're so pleased to have you back among the conscious." His eyes twinkled merrily. Snape just glared at him. "How are you feeling?" the headmaster asked.

"Like I have been run over by a hippogriff," replied Snape in a bored voice. He looked over at Hermione. "Why is she here?"

"Miss Granger will be monitoring you since Minerva and I are unable to be in here often," Dumbledore replied smiling. Before Snape could argue he said "Now, Severus this is the best way to handle it. Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley can make excuses for her absence. Since she's your apprentice, she's supposed to be working with you anyway." Snape's eyes were narrowed but he didn't comment.

"I'm afraid I must go now," Dumbledore said gently to Hermione. "You may do homework if you need to and then you may go down to dinner. We will be giving Professor Snape a potion for dreamless sleep."

"I just woke up," Snape protested.

"You have many injuries, Severus," Dumbledore replied. "Sleep will do you a world of good. You'll be up and terrifying the students again in no time. We'll talk after dinner." Turning to Hermione he said "We will also give you other instructions after dinner." He strode over to Snape's bed and took a vile of purple liquid from the side table. He lifted the vile to Snape's lips and poured the liquid in. Within moments, Snape drifted back to sleep. "See you at dinner," Dumbledore said smiling at Hermione and leaving the room.

Hermione sighed and looked over at Professor Snape. _This might not be so bad, _she thought._ Especially if he's going to sleep all the time. _Somehow, Hermione didn't think that would be the case.


	7. Fevered Professor

_I fixed this chapter. Professor Trelawney scares a third year student, not a first year._

Hermione arrived in the Great Hall for dinner and hurried over to sit across from Harry and Ron at the Gryffindor table. They were both eating steadily, Ron once again having a look of bliss on his face. "Hello," Hermione greeted them. She sat down and put some food on to her plate.

"How's Snape doing?" Harry asked quietly. He was glancing around at the other Gryffindors to make sure that he wouldn't be overheard.

"He's sleeping," Hermione replied. "He woke up not long after you two left. He and Dumbledore talked for a brief moment, but then Dumbledore had him take a potion for dreamless sleep."

"And he's been zonked out ever since?" Ron asked. "I guess that's lucky. He seems like such a nice guy when he's out cold."

"That's true," Harry agreed laughing. "Has Snape mentioned what happened to him?" he asked Hermione curiously.

"No," she replied. "But Dumbledore said that they'd be talking after dinner." She took a bite of toast and chewed it thoughtfully.

"That's bound to be a cheerful conversation," Ron said sarcastically. "Snape will be thrilled about it." He imitated a cheerful voice and said "Well, Professor Snape, please relive every horrific detail of the meeting you attended-" He stopped when Harry elbowed him.

"Ugh..." Hermione groaned. He's going to be in such a foul mood. and I know he's not going to want me helping him. Hermione frowned. This was definitely not going to be an easy weekend.

"Maybe we could do something to cheer you up," Ron suggested.

Hermione grinned mischievously. "You could always hit Harry with a spoon again," she said slyly. "That's always good for a laugh." Ron blushed.

"I think we'll pass on the spoon," Harry said grimacing. "It stopped being funny for me right around the same time that my glasses broke," he said sourly.

"Speaking of funny situations," Ron said, eager to lead the conversation away from the spoon incident. "Malfoy was running his mouth during herbology and he got bitten by a plant," Ron said grinning.

"What kind of plant?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Er- I don't really remember," Ron replied guiltily. "Harry and I were talking about this thing with Snape." Hermione rolled her eyes. She should have known that the boys weren't paying attention. "Anyway," Ron said clearing his throat. "Malfoy was shooting off at the mouth. It was 'My father' this and 'mudblood' that... Quite annoying really. Well, apparently the plant thought it was annoying too. It reached up and bit the head boy badge right off of Malfoy's robes. Then, the plant spit the badge on the floor and growled at Malfoy." Ron's face was gleeful.

Hermione just looked at him for a moment. "Yes, well," she said dismissively. "That certainly must have been interesting for you two to not pay any attention in class." She looked disapprovingly at them.

Harry grinned at her. "Sorry Hermione. We'll do better next time."

Hermione finished her dinner and stood up quickly. "I have to go check on Professor Snape. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow," she told them leaving the table. Harry and Ron waved to her and continued eating.

Hermione stepped into Snape's bedroom silently. He was still sleeping. She crept over to the bed and touched his face. He was running a fever again. She picked up the cool wet cloth she had used earlier and gently pressed it against his forehead.

Snape sighed quietly, bringing a small smile to Hermione's lips. Little drops of water from the cloth trickled down his face. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. Professor Snape looked up into Hermione's face. "What are you doing?" he hissed at her.

"You- You're running a f-fever," Hermione stammered. "This will help," she said never removing the cloth from his face.

"Miss Granger, I'm capable of taking care of myself," he snapped. He began using his arms to push himself into a sitting position. Suddenly, he began to shake, and his face tightened as pain coursed through his body. Hermione immediately helped him lay back down. His chest was heaving as the pain subsided, and his body fought to stop the shaking.

Hermione quickly pressed the cloth to his forehead again. "Please Professor," she said softly, pleading with him. "I know you can take care of yourself. But, you'll heal more quickly and it'll make thing easier for you if I help."

Snape scowled, but didn't argue. Hermione tentatively pressed the cloth against his slightly flushed cheeks and neck. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax. Occasionally, Hermione would dip the cloth back into the cold water. She kept the process up for a few minutes and turned around to see the headmaster and Professor McGonagall walk into the room.

Snape opened his eyes and groaned when he saw Dumbledore and McGonagall. "Well, it's nice to see you too, Severus," Dumbledore chuckled. "And don't worry. Miss Granger can continue to pamper you while we talk. You seemed to be enjoying yourself."

Snape glared venemously at the headmaster, while Hermione was torn between amusement and embarrassment. "Albus," McGonagall said smirking. "Don't upset him. We'll never get him to cooperate."

Dumbledore grinned. "Severus do you remember what happened to you?" he asked kindly. He waited patiently while Severus was propped into a sitting position by Hermione.

Snape sighed and said "There is not much to tell. The Dark Lord was in a terrible mood," he said in a strangely detached voice. "He demanded information about different things and was very displeased when no one had much information to offer." Snape shook his head. "I believe he was just looking for a reason to vent his frustrations. So, he began torturing the death eaters with several spells, his favorite being the Cruciatus Curse. After a few hours, some were sent to a nearby muggle village to bring back... entertainment. I was permitted to come back to Hogwarts."

Hermione shuddered. She didn't want to know what exactly he meant by "entertainment." She could probably guess.

"Thank you Severus," Dumbledore said politely. "It was obviously not a particularly important meeting. I hate that you had to endure such cruelty," he said sadly.

"You are not the only one," Snape grumbled.

"Now, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said looking at the young Gryffindor. "There's a potion that Professor Snape will need to take every twelve hours starting tonight. I will leave that with you. Please keep him as comfortable as possible. He needs plenty of rest. By Sunday, he should be nearly completely healed." He smiled at her.

"That sounds easy enough," Hermione said nervously glancing at Professor Snape.

"It would be easy if it weren't for the patient," Professor McGonagall said laughing. Snape glared at her.

Dumbledore pulled five vials of some blue potion out of his robes. "He needs to take this in the morning and at night," he said quietly. Hermione nodded and placed the vials on the side table.

"Well, good night then," Dumbledore said cheerfully before leaving the room. McGonagall followed him out.

Silently, Hermione helped Snape lay back down. She hesitated for a moment before touching his face. "The fever's gone," she murmured. "Is there anything you need?"

He shook his head. "I would just like to go to sleep. I find the headmaster exhausting at this time."

"Alright," Hermione said grinning. She uncorked one of the vials and Snape attempted to reach for it. His hands were shaking, preventing him from taking it. Hermione brought the vial to his lips and slowly poured the liquid into his mouth. Snape swallowed and grimaced at the bitter taste. Hermione smiled apologetically.

"Thank you," Snape said quietly. He was not accustomed to having someone take care of him. It was strangely comforting to the grouchy potions master. Hermione offered him a small smile and slipped out of the bedroom.

Hermione hurried to Snape's private rooms after breakfast. She wanted to make sure that he was doing well. When she walked through the bedroom door, she found him sleeping, looking more peaceful than she had thought possible. Perhaps a little too peaceful. Anxiously, Hermione moved to stand next to him and touched his face with her hand. Immediately Snape's eyes snapped open. She gasped and withdrew her hand.

Before Hermione could say anything, a voice behind her said "Startling your apprentice early I see." Hermione turned to see Dumbledore smiling cheerfully.

"She's an easy target," Snape replied, smirking when Hermione scowled at him. Looking at Dumbledore he said "I haven't the slightest clue where my wand is."

"Ah yes," Dumbledore said knowingly. "I've sent Mr. Potter to take care of that little matter."

Professor Snape scowled. "You have sent Potter to get my wand. I'll probably never see it again." Hermione rolled her eyes. A second later, Harry walked into the room holding a wand loosely at his side. He was looking at Snape rather nervously.

"Well well," Snape said sneering. "Speak of the devil. It's the boy-who-lived-to-make-my-life-a-living-"

"Severus," Dumbledore said warningly.

Snape sighed. "Potter, how nice to see you so early in the morning..." he said sarcastically. "In my private rooms..." His eyes narrowed recognizing the object in Harry's hand. "Holding my wand." Hermione bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing.

Harry hastily held the wand out to Snape who took it with a hand that trembled slightly. "Thank you," he muttered grudgingly.

"It was out on the school grounds," Harry said looking at Dumbledore. Then he looked at Hermione. "I'll see you at lunch," he told her with a smile. She nodded and Harry left the room.

"It's time for your potion Professor Snape," Hermione said quietly.

While Hermione uncorked the vial, Dumbledore said "I must go now. I have to meet with Professor Trelawney. She's, once again, predicted the death of some unsuspecting third year. The student was sent to the hospital wing in hysterics." He winked at Hermione and left the room.

Hermione helped Professor Snape swallow the unpleasant potion. He frowned at the taste but said nothing. Hermione looked at him and said "I think we should take a short walk." At his look of surprise she continued. "Just in the sitting room. A little bit of movement would do you good. I think you'll recuperate faster."

Snape looked doubtful. "We could try," he said slowly. To his surprise, Hermione quickly pulled back the blanket covering him and put her arm around his back to steady him. They moved slowly until Snape was standing. He glanced down at the small witch that was now standing so close to him. How very strange to have one of his students attending to him in this way.

"Ok," Hermione said, staying close to his side. "We'll take our time going over to the couch in the next room. You can rest there and then we'll walk back in here. We have to be careful because those tremors have made you so weak." Snape nodded and they started off toward his bedroom door.


	8. Mood Swings

Professor Snape and Hermione slowly made there way back to Snape's bedroom. They had managed to take a walk after breakfast, and since it had gone well, Hermione insisted that they walk a little more before dinner. Professor Snape, of course, found it necessary to grumble at her persistence. He hadn't actually minded allowing her to hold onto him and steer them around the sitting room, but he wouldn't dare let her know.

"That wasn't so bad," Hermione said cheerfully gently helping him back into his bed. She noticed that he had begun to shake again.

"Speak for yourself," Snape growled at her, attempting to keep his trembling body still. To his surprise, Hermione grinned at him and quickly looked the other way. "Is something funny Miss Granger?" he asked her in a quiet, dangerous voice.

Looking back at the professor, she said "I was just thinking that you are so much less intimidating when you're wearing flannel instead of robes." She actually thought that it was a nice change. He was wearing dark green flannel pants and a matching long sleeved button down shirt.

Snape scowled. "This was Dumbledore's idea," he said, defending the green flannel pajamas.

"Oh, I wasn't making fun of them, or you," Hermione said quickly. "I was merely pointing out that you don't seem quite as threatening when you're not wearing those black robes." When he didn't comment, she started adjusting his pillows to make sure he was comfortable. She then, reached out to touch his face with a serious look on her face.

"Can't seem to keep your hands off of me?" Snape asked smoothly, smirking at her.

Hermione jumped and moved her hand away. "I was checking you for a fever," she replied, blushing furiously. She turned to leave the room, but she was stopped by Snape's silky voice.

"Why did you agree to become my apprentice?" he asked her, not particularly wanting her to leave. "How did the headmaster talk you into it?"

Hermione walked back toward him and sat down on a chair near the bed. "Professor Dumbledore felt that I needed a challenge," she said. "At least, that's what he said. My use of the time turner has aged me a bit. So, I am now legally twenty years old in the wizarding world, while I am only eighteen in the muggle world. I am further along in my studies than my classmates as well. And, so instead of taking classes that would be useless to me, he suggested an apprenticeship because it would be more beneficial."

Snape nodded in understanding, and then said "But, why with me? So, many teachers would have gladly taken you on. I do believe it is safe to say that I am not your favorite professor," he said smirking.

"Dumbledore thought I would be up to the challenge," she replied smiling. "And, of course, he thought it would benefit you as well."

Snape looked puzzled for a moment. "He thought it would benefit me?" he said in a perplexed tone. "You mean, having an extra set of hands for brewing potions."

"Well, that was part of the reason," Hermione replied slowly. Snape raised one eyebrow at her, so she continued. "Professor Dumbledore mentioned that you're a bit of a recluse and that working with me would be good for you. You'd be forced to work in close contact with another person. That, of course, is none of my business."

Snape just looked frustrated for a moment and then his eyes widened as he looked at her. "I do hope the headmaster isn't playing match-maker again." Hermione blushed and searched her mind for something to say. She hadn't thought of that and she certainly hoped that wasn't the case.

"Albus knows better than that now," said the voice of Minerva McGonagall. She had just walked in and was standing in the doorway with an amused expression on her face.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I mean, he's done that before, and he's learned his lesson," Professor McGonagall chuckled.

"Ah yes," Snape said in realization. "The headmaster attempted to set up Professor Flitwick and Professor Trelawney." At the look of distaste on Hermione's face he chuckled. "Perhaps there would have been some benefit to the match. She could have gazed into his tea leaves and predicted that he would grow another six inches. And then he could use some kind of charm on her to make her less irritating for the rest of us." Hermione and Professor McGonagall snorted with laughter. Snape was looking smug at the success of his little joke.

Regaining her composure, Professor McGonagall smiled at Professor Snape. "I don't think Albus would set out to set you up quite like that at this point," she said gently. Then she grinned. "But, I don't think he'd hesitate if he was given the impression that he'd get away with it." She glanced at Hermione whose lips were twitching slightly as she fought back a smile.

"Meddling old fool," Snape muttered, shaking his head.

"I was sent to find out how your recovery is going," McGonagall said, ignoring his muttering. "Albus is busy at the moment," she added.

"Fine, thank you," Snape replied stiffly. "Miss Granger has been dragging me all around my private chambers."

"Oh good," McGonagall said cheerfully. She looked at Hermione. "It's about time someone made this stubborn man accept help when he's injured. Or any time for that matter. Did you really give him a choice in the matter?"

Hermione grinned. "Not really," she said slyly. "I told him what we were going to do and then I sort of just pulled him out of bed."

"You'll do him a world of good Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said throwing Snape a wicked grin. He simply scowled at her.

On Sunday morning, Hermione found that Professor Snape's health was improving very quickly. The violent tremors that rendered him helpless before had all but ceased. When she suggested a walk, he got of bed slowly and stood on his own. Hermione smiled with relief. "Oh, you're so much better," she said happily. Snape smirked and suddenly felt a pang of regret that soon she wouldn't be in his room taking care of him. He immediately scowled at himself for his line of thinking.

Hermione noticed his sudden change of expression and just looked at him for a moment. "_Did I say something wrong?"_ she thought. She could think of no reason for him to suddenly look so irritated. "_Since when do men have mood swings?" _she thought, slightly amused at the idea. She gave a mental shrug and quickly turned her attention to her potions master. She headed toward the door keeping an eye on him as he followed carefully.

Walking into the sitting room, Snape's steps grew more confident. Hermione smiled to herself as the Professor strode over to the couch. His movements were graceful in a way, even if they were a bit slower than usual. He whirled around to face her looking smug. Hermione smirked. "Congratulations Professor," she said. "You'll be back to making students cry by tomorrow morning."

"I have to wait until tomorrow?" he asked in a slightly teasing tone and raising one eyebrow. Hermione was a little surprised at his tone but quickly recovered.

"I spoke to Professor Dumbledore about the potion I've been giving you," she said calmly. "You'll heal quickly, but you can't over do it. You'll tire very quickly if you do too much. I wouldn't recommend walking up all those steps to leave the dungeon. You'd be exhausted."

Snape nodded. "Since my health is improving, we could go into my lab and work on a potion," he said. "Actually, you could work on a potion and I could observe. I wouldn't want to over do it," he said silkily. "Of course, Potter and Weasley are probably having a difficult time without you since, of the three of you, your brain is the only functional one. They may need you to go think for them."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "They're not that bad Professor Snape," she said laughing. "Let's go work on that potion." She headed out the door to go to the lab. Snape followed, allowing himself to smile slightly at the fact that she had decided to brew a potion with him rather than going to see her friends.

In the lab, Hermione brewed a very strong Truth Potion under the watchful eye of the potions master. She had pulled her hair up into a messy bun to keep it out of her face. She worked steadily and followed every instruction perfectly. Snape watched with interest as she carefully read each direction and prepared each ingredient meticulously. When she was finished, Professor Snape peered into the cauldron. He grunted in approval and motioned for her to help him put the potion into vials realizing that his energy was quickly draining. When they were finished, they cleaned up the area and walked back to his bedroom. Snape allowed Hermione to guide him to his bed. Before falling into an exhausted sleep, he muttered "Twenty points to Gryffindor." Hermione just smiled and slipped out of the room silently.


	9. Stuck

On Monday morning, Hermione, Harry and Ron were once again eating breakfast at the Gryffindor table. Hermione's eyes scanned the staff table and was glad to see the potions master back in his usual seat. He looked up at her briefly before turning his gaze elsewhere.

The fluttering of many wings caught everyone's attention. "Mail's here," Ron said, stating the obvious.

A very large brown barn owl, landed in front of Harry's plate. She blinked and attempted to hoot at him, but the sound was muffled by the letter in her beak. Harry took the letter and offered the owl a strip of bacon. The owl accepted the bacon gratefully and flew away.

Harry opened the letter curiously and read through it. He scowled and then looked across the table at Hermione, handing the note to her. "Our old friend Rita Skeeter is requesting an interview," he said with a frown.

Hermione read the letter and smirked. "Having a difficult time finding work I suppose. I mean, she did just stop working entirely for a year," she said with a grin. Of course, that had been because Hermione had forced her to, or else Hermione would report Rita as being an unregistered animagus.

"An interview about what exactly?" Ron asked taking the letter from Hermione.

"It doesn't say," Harry said shrugging.

Ron read through the letter and made a disgusted face. "How pathetic," he muttered. Holding the letter out to Harry he said "This just screams desperation.."

Harry took that letter back, grinning. "No, it just screams," he said. He began to shred the parchment in a theatrical sort of way. He was wearing a pained expression and making screaming noises with each rip of the paper. Hermione and Ron watched for a brief moment before they were overcome with laughter.

Several of the staff members once again had their attention drawn to the Gryffindor table. Snape was managing to appear only mildly interested in the antics of Harry Potter. _"Imbecile,"_ Snape thought scathingly. To his irritation, it was Hermione's laughter that had caught his attention in the first place.

"Never a dull moment at the Gryffindor table," Dumbledore said looking very amused.

"So, it would seem," Professor McGonagall replied fighting back a smile. "I suppose I should be glad they're not busy making up some plot to figure out what Voldemort's doing…. Even if Potter's being ridiculous." She then looked over at Professor Snape. "Mr. Potter may have something in common with you after all Severus. That looks like something you'd do," she said smiling slightly.

"Hardly," Snape replied with a smirk, glaring in the direction of the muffled screams where Harry was violently ripping up the piece of parchment and making grotesque faces. "I would have put a charm on the parchment rather than sitting there shrieking like an idiot," he said grimacing at the idea.

Dumbledore chuckled. "That would be a tad out of character for Severus," Dumbledore said with a grin.

McGonagall looked back at Snape. "Speaking of being out of character," she said seriously. "I hear you awarded Gryffindor twenty points for Miss Granger."

"Yes, well I will think twice about ever doing that again," Snape replied, glaring in Hermione's direction.

"Oh, calm down Severus," Professor McGonagall said dismissively. "She wasn't running about telling everyone about it. I questioned her because I saw her coming from your chambers looking quite pleased." She looked at him curious. "What were the points actually for?"

Snape was looking slightly ruffled. "Miss Granger brewed a reasonably decent truth potion. And her attentiveness to my health was… satisfactory," he added gruffly.

Professor McGonagall smiled slightly. "You really should thank her Severus," she said gently. "She gave up a lot of free time to keep an eye on you. She never complained and she went out of her way to be kind, even when you were a grouch." Snape scowled but made no comment.

Classes went relatively well that afternoon. After arithmancy, Hermione went outside to enjoy the crisp fall weather. She found Harry and Ron stretched out on the grass under a huge tree. "Don't you two have homework?" she asked them crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh come on Hermione," Ron said, giving her a pleading look. "We're just having a bit of a break. I promise we'll do it before we go to bed," he said with a smile.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but smiled. She then noticed a strange look on Harry's face. "What is it Harry?" she asked, concerned.

"Snape," Harry said simply. She turned around to see Professor Snape approaching them. Harry's body tensed and Ron pressed his back against the tree as if he was desperate to put more distance between himself and the professor.

"Miss Granger," Snape said silkily, stopping in front of her. "Potter; Weasley," he said nodding to them stiffly. Harry and Ron nodded back grudgingly. Turning back to Hermione, Snape said "Meet me in my lab at 7:30. We have a potion to work on." At her puzzled look he said "I will not be in the Great Hall for dinner, so I decided to tell you beforehand. I will be gathering necessary ingredients."

Hermione nodded politely and Snape turned to walk away. He whirled back around when his sensitive ears heard someone mutter the incantation to a vaguely familiar spell. His eyes widened when he realized that Hermione had been hit by the spell.

Hermione swayed for a moment looking dazed and then stumbled into Professor Snape. Instinctively, he reached out to catch her before she fell. Snape swore softly under his breath. "What?" Hermione asked in alarm. She balanced herself and tried to back away from the professor. She was startled to see that her hand refused to move away from his arm. She looked up at Snape fearfully.

"That was a temporary sticking charm," Snape said sneering. He quickly looked around for the person who cast the spell, but he could see no one. He sighed. "The spell caused whatever it hits to be bound to whatever it's closest to."

Ron stood up, confused. "I've only ever heard of the permanent sticking charm," he said looking up at Snape.

"This one is very similar," Snape said impatiently. "Except for the fact that the effects are temporary," he said sneering.

"Right," Ron said blushing slightly.

"We'll have to go see the headmaster," Snape said in annoyance. Harry stood up quickly and reached into his back pocket. Suddenly his face looked startled and he began searching the pockets of his robes frantically. "What is it now?" Snape said glaring at him.

"My wand!" Harry said. "I left it in my pocket and it's not there. I know that I brought it out here."

Harry and Ron quickly began searching all around them. Hermione and Snape walked over to search as well, letting their arms touch. Harry was looking frustrated when he walked around the huge tree and saw it lying on the ground. Noticing when Harry picked it up, Ron said "Oh there it is." He patted Harry on the back as his anxious expression faded. "It's always in the last place that you look, mate."

Hermione snorted at this comment. "Ron, what an utterly ridiculous thing to say." Ron looked at her surprised. "Of course, it's in the last place that you look. Why the bloody hell would you continue to look once you've found it?" The three Gryffindors didn't notice when Snape bit his lip to prevent himself from laughing.

"It's just an expression," Ron muttered.

"Rather stupid expression," Hermione retorted. Ron looked sheepish and Harry was chuckling. Hermione looked up at Professor Snape and saw that he was looking down at her thoughtfully. "What?" she asked nervously.

"I was just curious," Snape said slowly, "as to why Potter's wand would be found in a place that he had obviously not put it." He thought for a moment and then shook his head. "Come along," he said sternly, seizing Hermione's forearm and bringing her along with him. He saw her wince at his tight grip, and he loosened his hold on her. Harry and Ron followed them into the castle hoping that Dumbledore would be able to release Hermione from the sticking charm. Snape would definitely not be very pleasant if Dumbledore couldn't fix it.

The group arrived in front of the stone gargoyle that blocked the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Snape growled the password at it, and the gargoyle jumped out of the way. Snape led the three Gryffindors into the office and stopped abruptly in front of the headmaster's desk. Dumbledore looked up in surprise to see Professor Snape and Hermione standing suspiciously close to one another with Harry and Ron eyeing them warily. "Well, what have we here?" Dumbledore asked curiously. From the look on Snape's face, it would be a very interesting story indeed.


	10. Sleeping with the Potions Master

"To what do I owe the honor of this surprise visit," Dumbledore said, smiling benignly at Professor Snape's scowl.

"Someone has cast a temporary sticking charm on Miss Granger," Snape growled through clenched teeth. "It seems that I was what she was standing the closest to." As if to demonstrate, he released Hermione's arm and stepped backwards, away from her. Immediately, Hermione felt her body being pulled toward Snape, and she found herself against his chest. She flushed in embarrassment while Harry and Ron looked on with sympathetic expressions. Snape put a hand on her shoulder and moved away again. "There was no sign of the person who cast the spell," Snape told the headmaster.

"My, what a predicament," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling in amusement. Snape sneered at him. "Unfortunately," Dumbledore continued, "I can't do anything for you right now. You will need to wait for the spell to wear off."

Snape was looking furious while Hermione's face paled. Harry and Ron looked positively horrified which only served to infuriate the potions master more. The headmaster smiled kindly at Hermione. "Don't worry my dear," he said. "It should wear off by tomorrow morning."

Hermione sighed miserably. It was one thing to take care of Professor Snape while he was ill. Being stuck to him was another matter entirely. She opened her mouth to say something, but the headmaster's door swung open and Professor McGonagall walked in.

"Headmaster, I've just had a word with Mr. Longbottom," McGonagall said before she stopped and stared at everyone in the office. "Miss Granger, you're here," she said looking confused.

"What did Neville have to say, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked her.

McGonagall quickly looked back at Dumbledore. "Mr. Longbottom was in the Gryffindor common room looking out the window," she said. "He said that he could see these three by the tree," she said gesturing at Hermione, Harry and Ron. "He also saw Severus approach to speak with Miss Granger, I assume. Then he saw another three students approaching the tree from behind. One of them cast a disillusionment charm on himself while the other two hid. The student then went to the tree and pulled Harry's wand out of his pocket and used it to hit Miss Granger with a spell just as Severus was turning to leave." She paused, looking at Hermione in confusion. "Mr. Longbottom immediately ran to come get me. He recognized Draco Malfoy as the student who cast the spell."

"That would explain why I couldn't find my wand!" Harry said in understanding.

"You're wand is missing?" McGonagall asked sharply.

"No," Harry said quickly. "We found it in the grass on the other side of the tree. I guess that's where Malfoy dropped it."

"Why is Miss Granger here?" McGonagall said, changing the subject.

"They came up here because it was a temporary sticking charm that hit Miss Granger," Dumbledore said with a sigh. It wasn't nearly so amusing now that he had to punish Draco Malfoy and find his accomplices. "Miss Granger is now stuck to Professor Snape, for the time being."

"Is there nothing we can do?" Professor McGonagall asked him. She looked over at Hermione who was glancing nervously up at the potions master.

"I'm afraid we'll have to wait," Dumbledore said with a small smile. "Everything will be fine. Miss Granger and Professor Snape got along so well while he was ill." At this, Snape glared down at Hermione, as if forbidding her to get along with him on this occasion. Hermione swallowed hard and looked back at the headmaster.

"Severus," Dumbledore said, looking at the angry Professor. "Take Miss Granger. Use the floo to go back to your rooms. It would be better if the other students weren't aware of the situation." He turned to Harry and Ron, who had been observing the scene silently. "The two of you may go into Miss Granger's room and collect what she will need for tomorrow. She shouldn't have to rush back to her own room before she goes to class. Professor McGonagall will collect her belongings and take them to Professor Snape's rooms."

Harry and Ron nodded. "Minerva," Dumbledore said to Professor McGonagall. "Before getting Miss Granger's things, please go and fetch Mr. Malfoy for me. I would like to settle this little matter with him as quickly as possible."

Everyone, having been given instructions moved to leave the office. Harry and Ron left the office to go to Hermione's room. Professor Snape and Hermione stepped into the fire place. Snape threw some floo powder into the ashes and said "Snape's rooms" very clearly. They vanished in a swirl of green flames. McGonagall looked and the headmaster for a moment before she said "Albus, you couldn't have helped them more than that?"

Dumbledore chuckled good naturedly. "This time, I really don't know of a counter curse off hand…" he said gently. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I suppose I could have done a bit of research and found something that would have separated them more quickly, but this won't be so bad." He smiled slyly. "Perhaps Severus and his apprentice will be a good pair for things other than potion making."

"Albus!" Minerva cried. "What are you suggesting?"

The headmaster flushed slightly. "Minerva I would never suggest that Severus should take advantage of a situation such as this one," he said gently. "I was merely thinking that perhaps the two of them would be good for each other, as friends," he added hastily at her disapproving look. "Severus has kept to himself far too long. Miss Granger, I dare say, could use conversations about things other than Quidditch. And talking to spoons," he said with a chuckle, thinking about the incidents in the Great Hall.

Professor McGonagall sighed but smiled slightly. "I'll go and get Mr. Malfoy," she said leaving Dumbledore to his thoughts. Dumbledore wondered for a moment about the possibilities between Hermione and Professor Snape. He smiled at his own ideas.

In Professor Snape's rooms, Hermione and her potions master were standing next to the couch, unsure of what to do. Hermione looked up at the professor nervously, to see him watching her thoughtfully.

"I normally read in the evenings before patrolling the halls," Snape said slowly. He frowned. "Obviously I won't be patrolling tonight, but you may read with me if you like." He looked at her expectantly, although looking thoroughly irritated with the situation.

"Yes, sir," she said softly. She allowed him to guide her over to a large ornate bookshelf. He pulled a book down and waited while she selected a book for herself. They walked over to the couch and sat down together. Their arms were touching lightly as they read silently. It was very calming and they each relaxed in the silence of the sitting room.

A thud on the floor startled Professor Snape from his reading. He looked down to see the book that Hermione had been reading sitting on the floor. He scowled, angry that she would treat his books so roughly. He turned his head to glare at her, only to find that she had drifted to sleep. Her head was resting against the back of the couch and her breathing was slow and rhythmic.

Snape just stared at her for a moment. He carefully set his book on the ground and gently pulled her body away from the back of the couch. He turned to sit sideways on the couch and let one leg stretch out against the back of the couch while he had carefully wedged Hermione between his legs. He turned Hermione so that her back was to him. He pulled her closer to him so that she was against his chest.

Snape settled back on the couch, making himself comfortable. Hermione stirred slightly in her sleep but didn't wake up. The potions master was surprised when she sighed contentedly and turned her head, resting her cheek on his shoulder. He looked down at her face uncertainly. She looked so peaceful and lovely. Eventually, he let himself relax and he joined her in slumber.

The flames in Professor Snape's fireplace turned green two hours later. Dumbledore and McGonagall stepped into the room quickly. Dumbledore was about to speak when his eyes fell on the couch. Professor Snape was sitting sideways on the couch with Hermione resting between his legs and against his chest. Professor McGonagall looked upon the scene with amusement. As if to make things more entertaining, Snape moved one of his arms in his sleep and left his hand resting against Hermione's stomach. Dumbledore and McGonagall smirked to each other before leaving Hermione's belongings next to the couch and disappearing into the fireplace once more.

The next morning, Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she found herself resting against someone. She stretched and sat up, causing the man next to her to stir. She turned quickly to see Professor Snape waking up. She gasped and jumped up quickly. He looked at her in confusion and then remembered why she had been sleeping against him.

"I'm sorry Professor," Hermione mumbled, backing away from him. After taking two steps backward, Hermione was pulled forward once again and ended up in the professor's lap. He had automatically opened up his arms to catch her. He was holding onto her and looking startled.

Suddenly, the flames in the fireplace turned green again and the headmaster stepped into the room. "Ah," he said cheerfully as if he didn't notice their position. "You're awake. I suppose you've tested whether or not the spell has worn off?"

"It seems that it has faded," Snape replied releasing Hermione so she could stand up. "We don't have to be touching but, she has to remain within a few inches of me." He scowled at the headmaster's grin.

"Well, I think I can fix that," Dumbledore said with a smile. He motioned for Snape to get up and stand next to Hermione. He moved his wand down between them, as if he was drawing a line to separate them. "There we are. Miss Granger please move away from Professor Snape."

Hermione took a tentative step away from the potions master and sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness," she said softly.

"Mr. Malfoy has been given a month of detentions with Mr. Filch," Dumbledore told them. "He hadn't meant to cause the two of you to be stuck. He thought Mr. Weasley or Mr. Potter would be stuck to you," he told Hermione with a small smile. "He had used Mr. Potter's wand so that the spell couldn't be traced back to himself. He hadn't counted on an eye witness."

Snape smiled slightly when he saw Hermione smirk. "Well, we must be heading down to the Great Hall," Snape said smoothly. "We wouldn't want Miss Granger to miss classes today." He looked at Hermione and said "You may go into my bathroom to shower and change clothes. Close the door when you leave. I'll be in the Great Hall." He nodded politely to her and left the room with Dumbledore.

Hermione quickly went into the bathroom to shower. She blushed at the memory of sleeping against Snape's chest. How on earth had she gotten into a position between his legs in the first place? She shook her head, puzzled.

"That wasn't so bad, was it Severus?" Dumbledore said when they got into the hallway. Snape glared at the smiling older wizard but didn't say anything. He was slightly distracted by the memory of what it had felt like to have Hermione sleeping against his chest. He smiled slightly. He slept better than he had in a long time. Feeling her body against his was so comforting as if she had belonged there. He scowled at his own thoughts. Dumbledore noticed and grinned to himself. Apparently, Snape hadn't thought it was so bad, but it'd be quite a task to get the stubborn potions master to admit it.


	11. Suspecting a Plot

Hermione groaned when Ron began firing questions at her the moment she sat down to breakfast. She had expected it. It was obvious that she'd been forced to spend the night with Professor Snape because of the temporary sticking charm. Even the ever unobservant Ron had come to that conclusion.

"So, what was it like?" Ron asked with what could only be described as morbid curiosity. He was looking at her questioningly, but at the same time his face bore a look of disgust.

"Ron, you're starting to sound like a gossiping woman," Harry said, frowning at the red head. "Please refrain from turning into your mother in public." Hermione snorted with suppressed laughter and Ron blushed.

Grinning at Harry, Hermione said "Professor Snape really isn't all that bad. He didn't scold me. He even let me read one of his books."

"Did you sleep in his bed?" Ron piped up. He quickly crammed a biscuit into his mouth when he caught sight of the looks on Harry and Hermione's faces.

"Ron you never cease to amaze me with the way you just continue to come up with the most utterly idiotic things to say," Hermione said fighting back a smile. If his mouth hadn't been bulging because of the biscuit, Ron would have grinned sheepishly. Harry was struggling not to roll his eyes. "No, I didn't share his bed," Hermione told them, blushing at the idea. "We ended up falling asleep on the couch." She decided to leave out the fact that she had found herself between Snape's legs and leaning back against his chest that morning. She suspected that information wouldn't have been received very well.

"Wow," Harry said, looking slightly impressed. "I would have thought that the git would have loved the opportunity to be nasty to you."

"Oh Harry," Hermione said, as if recalling something dreadful. "When I woke up I got up and tried to move away from him, thinking that the spell had worn off completely. It hadn't. I ended up in his lap." She covered her face with her hands looking humiliated.

Harry's lips twitched as he fought back a smile. _Poor Hermione, _he thought sympathetically.

Ron, on the other hand, was not so sympathetic. "Bloody hell, Hermione! You just threw yourself at him." He shook his head. "The poor greasy bastard probably never saw it coming." He had a wicked grin on his face.

"You make it sound like he was ambushed and assassinated," Harry muttered.

Hermione bristled with indignant anger. "Ronald Weasley, if you're going to speak at least attempt not to sound like a half-wit."

Harry was helpless to stop his laughter. Hermione's look softened a little when she looked at him as he struggled to control himself. Ron's expression was one of mingled embarrassment and amusement.

"Anyway," Harry said, suddenly serious. "Malfoy has detention for a month with Filch. Can't say I'm disappointed about that. I think he's up to something a little more serious than just gluing you to Snape though." He looked warily in the direction of the Slytherin table. "You'll have to be really careful."

"Did Dumbledore say anything about it?" Hermione asked uneasily. She didn't very much like the idea of being a target for Malfoy.

"He hasn't said anything," Harry said slowly. "But, he's concerned. He looked really worried."

"He did tell us to stick together," Ron added.

Hermione sighed. "Will just have to keep a close eye on Malfoy, just in case he's plotting something. If he is, I just hope it isn't serious enough for it to involve his father or the dark lord in some way," she said, shivering involuntarily at the thought.

"Don't worry," Ron said to reassure her. "I'm sure it's just Malfoy being a prat as usual. Let's get to class and not think about it right now."

Hermione stood up and chanced a look at the head boy. He was, as usual, sitting with his group of Slytherin thugs. However, this time, he was meeting her gaze with a calculating look. The evil glint in his gray eyes made her mouth feel suddenly dry. She quickly followed her friends out of the Great Hall.

Hermione worked diligently in potions that day. She was so focused on the potion brewing in front of her that she didn't notice when Snape came over to the table where she was sitting near Harry. She was slightly startled by his presence as he peered into her cauldron. Her potion was a leafy green color and it had a smooth consistency. She frowned when she looked at the thick almost-black mixture in Harry's cauldron.

"Forty points from Gryffindor," Snape said sneering. "I assumed that even a simpleton like you could read instructions by now. Apparently not." He turned to the class with a smirk. "Miss Granger is the only student to brew this potion properly. The rest of you will turn in three feet of parchment on the properties of the potion to be turned in at the next lesson," he snapped. He looked back at Hermione. "Put some into a vial, label it and put it on my desk," he said smoothly before walking away.

Hermione left the classroom after putting the vial on Professor Snape's desk. She met Harry and Ron just outside the door. Harry was furious with Snape. "I'm so tired of the greasy bat playing favorites," he said vehemently.

"Stop being such a martyr Harry," Hermione said impatiently. "He gave the Slytherins that assignment too."

"I was talking about you," Harry retorted angrily. "Snape favors you because you're his apprentice."

"Don't be ridiculous Harry," Hermione said rolling her eyes.

"He didn't criticize your potion. He didn't assign you homework," Harry said, scowling.

"And that couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that her potion was in perfect condition," said a silky voice, interrupting the argument. The three Gryffindors turned to see Professor Snape standing in the doorway. Harry's face turned a slight shade of pink as Snape glared at him. "Miss Granger doesn't get high marks from me because she is my apprentice," he said smoothly. "She is my apprentice because she gets high marks. Her grades have always been irritatingly high. I do not feel that it's necessary to correct her potion making. She did not receive the assignment because she obviously already knew the material." Snape folded his arm imperiously across his chest.

"Sorry Hermione," Harry muttered. "I'm a bit uptight today." He looked at her apologetically.

Hermione smiled at him and then looked back at the professor. "We'll see you at dinner Professor Snape," she said with small smile.

Snape nodded at her stiffly and then retreated to his classroom. He didn't normally defend his students, but he certainly didn't want anyone to think that he was favoring his apprentice. He scowled. Albus and Minerva would never let him live it down.

Hermione, Harry and Ron walked down the hallway and out to the grounds to go to their Care of Magical Creatures class. "Snape actually defended you," Ron said suddenly looking at Hermione. "That's strange. I didn't think he'd stand up for anyone."

"Well, I was being a prat," Harry said glancing at Hermione. "I've been worrying about what Malfoy is up to, and Snape just makes me so angry…." He trailed off.

"I know Harry," Hermione said gently. She grinned mischievously. "If it makes you feel better, I'll hex you the next time you verbally attack me like that."

Harry raised his eyebrows at her. "Duly noted," he said slyly. He led the way to the next class with a smile.


	12. Headaches

The Christmas holidays approached with a swiftness that was startling. The students became restless at the prospect of a much desired break from their classes. Harry, Ron and Hermione were looking forward to spending Christmas at the Burrow. Hermione felt more than ready to begin the holidays. Professor Snape had decided in the last month to allow her to oversee some of the first and second year classes. Hermione, consequently, began to understand why Snape could be in such a foul mood at the end of classes.

"You'd think that the entire class was illiterate," she fumed one Thursday afternoon in the hallway. "It was ridiculous. One second year managed to explode the potion while I was checking another student's work. I looked up at him and he just looked back at me blankly. Then his hair just fell out." Hermione shook her head in frustration.

"What do you mean 'his hair just fell out'?" Ron asked raising his eyebrows curiously.

"I mean he was just gaping at me like an idiot and then all of his hair fell right off of his head," Hermione said with a smirk. "Including his eyebrows," she added.

Harry laughed. "Talk about strange looking. I'd like to see that."

"Harry it's not funny," Hermione said in exasperation. "That explosion could have been worse. Luckily, Madam Pomfrey will be able to fix the problem. Professor Snape was no help," she said scowling.

"What did Snape do?" Ron asked her.

"Well, when I turned around to ask him what he wanted me to do, he was actually covering his mouth with his hand to keep himself from laughing," Hermione replied. "After I sent the student to the infirmary, I looked back at Snape and he just smirked at me. There was nothing funny about it," she said huffily.

"Well, it does sound pretty funny Hermione," Harry said with a grin. "Come on, even Snape thought it was funny."

Hermione smiled reluctantly. "It would have been more funny if I hadn't been the one that was supervising the class at the time," she admitted. She rubbed her temples tiredly. "I don't know how Professor Snape does that all week."

"Firewhiskey takes the edge off," said a velvety voice. Hermione looked up quickly to see Professor Snape standing in front of her. He smirked and handed her a vial of some crimson liquid. She looked at the vial apprehensively. "I would not bother poisoning you," Snape said silkily. "I would be stuck with more paperwork than you are worth. And, no doubt, I would be forced to endure the headmaster's incessant lecturing. That potion should relieve you of your headache."

"How did you know I had a headache?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Miss Granger, I've been teaching for quite a while now," Snape said with a smirk. "I am well aware of which classes are headache inducing." He took a moment to sneer at Harry and Ron and then continued talking to Hermione as if they weren't there. "I took the liberty of going to the hospital wing to check up on the hairless wonder. He will be fully recovered by tomorrow morning. On that note, we will be brewing two more potions after dinner for Madam Pomfrey. We will not be meeting tomorrow afternoon due to the fact that we will be starting the holidays."

"Yes, Professor Snape," Hermione said with a small smile. She watched as Snape turned and walked away, his black robes swirling around him.

"The hairless wonder?" Ron said with a smirk.

"Well," Harry said with a surprised smile. "Snape has a sense of humor."

Ron frowned slightly. "He's still a greasy git," he said decisively. Harry and Hermione snorted with laughter. Ron grinned and said "Let's go to dinner." He led the way to the Great Hall.

The next day, the professor tried in vain to keep the focus of their students on their class work. Only Professor Snape seemed capable of keeping his students excitement about the holidays reigned in. He deducted points with a fierceness that easily kept the students' attention on their potions.

That evening, Ron and Harry were sitting on Hermione's bed while she packed her trunk. They had already finished packing and were content to sit and inform her when she forgot something. She paused several times to tell them to "do something useful or shut up." Hermione closed her trunk in satisfaction when she had finished.

"Took you long enough," Ron muttered. He was forced to duck when Hermione charmed a pillow to fly at his head. "

"You two get out of here so I can get some sleep," Hermione said gently pushing the boys through the door. "I'll see you at breakfast." She closed the door behind them and began changing her clothes for bed.

Out in the hallway, Harry and Ron walked toward the kitchen. Ron had stated that he wanted to get something to eat before going to bed. Harry shook his head. "You're a bloody bottomless pit," he said with a laugh.

"I just love food mate," Ron replied grinning. He stopped suddenly when he saw Draco Malfoy in the hallway ahead of them.

"Potter and Weasel," Malfoy said coldly. "What are you two doing out here? Aren't you afraid of the dark?"

"Shut it, Malfoy," Ron said scowling. "Where are your thugs? Forgotten how to work a doorknob again?" Harry smirked.

Malfoy sneered at them. "Better watch yourself Weasley," he spat viciously. He turned to look at Harry. "Enjoy the peace while you can Scar-head. You'll get yours in the end. Granger won't always be around to stop you from doing something ridiculously stupid." With that, he swept past the two perplexed Gryffindors.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Ron asked in confusion. He looked at Harry who was looking at the retreating Slytherin thoughtfully.

"He knows something," Harry muttered quietly. "He knows about something and he's trying to flaunt it. I wonder what's going on." He looked over at Ron. "We'll have to see what Hermione thinks about it tomorrow."

"Yeah," Ron replied quietly. "Let's go." He led the way to the kitchen. Harry followed with a thoughtful frown on his face.


	13. Slippery Situations

On Saturday morning, Hermione sat talking excitedly with Ron and Harry in the Great Hall. Ron smiled widely and said, "It's about time we had a break from all this work." He shoveled food into his mouth in satisfaction.

"That's funny," Hermione said smirking. "I was unaware that you ever did any form of work. You mean to say that you actually do your homework without me breathing down your neck?"

Ron scowled but Harry said "We take turns." At Hermione's confused look, he said "We take turns being 'Hermione'. One day I'm 'Hermione' and then the next day, it's his turn to be the nag," he said with a mischievous grin. Hermione's mouth dropped open in indignation. Harry simply grinned at her. Hermione shook her and muttered something that sounded like "useless boys".

Suddenly, Ron remembered the confrontation with Malfoy the night before. He quickly related the details to Hermione. She frowned thoughtfully. "Harry reckons that something is going on or will be going on," Ron said quietly, his face looking doubtful. "I don't know about that. Why would he hint at it in front of us?"

"Because the little twit would love the chance to rub your faces in it," Hermione replied scathingly. "We'll just have to be careful around him." Having finished their breakfast, the three Gryffindors stood up to leave the Great Hall. Hermione looked at Ron said "So, what's up with Ginny? I don't see her much anymore." She led the way toward the door while she waited for his response.

"Oh she's been spending a lot of time with Neville," Ron replied shrugging. "It's sort of weird actually. They're an odd pair."

As Ron talked, Harry noticed a puddle of spilled pumpkin juice on the floor. Before Harry could warn him, Ron slipped on the puddle. His body lunged forward and knocked roughly into Hermione. Her body was propelled forward as well, but she was knocked backward when she hit something very solid. Hermione landed on her back with a thud, hitting her head on the floor. She squeezed her eyes shut with pain. Ron had managed to catch himself by grabbing a nearby table.

Hermione groaned and rubbed the back of her head. She reluctantly opened her eyes and looked up at the thing that had forced her onto the floor. To her dismay, she found herself looking up at the potions master. He was scowling down at her with a raised eyebrow. She swore softly, causing his brow to rise even more. To her surprise he reached out to her with his hand. Tentatively, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her stand back up. She swayed slightly, but sighed in relief as his strong hands grasped her shoulders to steady her. Hermione glanced up at the professor, surprised by his kindness. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"Forgotten how to walk, Miss Granger?" Professor Snape asked in his silky voice. He smirked at her embarrassed blush.

Harry, who had been watching the scene with his mouth hanging open in astonishment, spoke up. "Sir, it was Ron. He slipped on some pumpkin juice and rammed into Hermione." Ron glared at him, not pleased about being blamed.

Snape merely grunted in response. He turned and walked away from them in a swirl of robes.

"He seemed almost nice just then," Harry said with a slight frown. "That's a little scary actually."

"It's more than a little scary," Ron said in agreement. He turned an accusing glare at Harry. "You blamed me for her falling over."

"Well, it was kind of your fault," Harry said shrugging. "You ran into her."

"I slipped on pumpkin juice," Ron said, his ears turning red.

"Yes, well, if you didn't go stomping around like a dinosaur everywhere you went, you wouldn't have slipped," Hermione retorted.

Ron sputtered indignantly. "I don't stomp around like a dinosaur."

"You do, sort of, mate," Harry said with a small smile. Ron's lanky frame had filled out some and the extra muscle had brought out a new level of self assurance. The result was the red head holding his head higher and walking with confidence, but without much grace. Harry and Hermione joked that if he were any more 'confident', he'd put holes in the floor.

Ron flushed but said nothing more. Hermione grinned at him and patted his arm before leading them out of the Great Hall.

Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione arrived at the burrow that afternoon and rushed through the door to be greeted by an ecstatic Molly Weasley. "There you are!" she exclaimed dragging each of them into a crushing hug. "It's so lovely to have you here," she said kindly to Harry and Hermione. "You four go and put your things upstairs and we'll have dinner when you come back down."

Hermione was led up to Ginny's room to put her trunk away while Harry went to Ron's room. "This is going to be great," Ginny said dropping her robe onto her bed. She looked at Hermione curiously. "Are you going to see your parents for Christmas?"

Hermione sighed. "I don't know. They're going skiing again this year, but I'd like to see them for a little while. I just don't see how I'll be able to." She frowned sadly.

Ginny patted her shoulder with a sympathetically. "We'll try to think of something. Maybe my dad will have an idea. Or we could contact Dumbledore. He might have something up his sleeve." She grinned mischievously.

Hermione snorted with laughter. "When does Dumbledore not have something up his sleeve?" The girls laughed and walked out of the room. When they arrived back downstairs, they went into the dining room to find it empty. Hermione frowned. "Where's your family?" she asked Ginny.

"Probably outside," Ginny replied. "The weather is great and it's less crowded to eat out there. Let's go." She led the way outside where Mrs. Weasley had lined up several tables laden with delicious looking food.

"Nice to see you Hermione," George Weasley said walking up to her. His twin, Fred stood next to them and grinned. Harry and Ron were already outside, standing behind the twins.

"How's business," Harry asked

"Fantastic," Fred and George said together.

"Everyone come sit down," said Arthur Weasley, smiling widely. They quickly seated themselves around the table and helped themselves to the food. Molly beamed around at everyone, looking pleased that they all seemed to be enjoying the meal. Harry noticed that a few of the Weasleys were missing. No doubt, the oldest Weasley children, Bill and Charlie, were off working. Percy, unfortunately, had still not reconciled his differences with the rest of the family. He remained conspicuously absent from all occasions.

"I have some news," Arthur said clearing his throat. Everyone paused and looked at him expectantly. "We will be spending Christmas at headquarters, Grimmhauld Place. Dumbledore suggested it. Many of your friends from the order will also be there." He looked at Hermione. "Dumbledore also said that he would have someone escort you to visit your parents." He smiled at Hermione's look of excitement.

"When are we going?" Harry asked smiling widely.

"In a few days," Molly said with a smile on her round face. Ginny turned to look at Hermione who grinned. Christmas was going to be a lot of fun.

Dinner passed pleasantly and everyone sat outside and talked. Eventually, it began to get dark outside and Molly Weasley began cleaning everything up. Hermione and Ginny got up to help clean while Harry and Ron joined in on Fred and George's conversation about Quidditch.

Once everything was clean, Molly announced that they should all head off to bed. They all went inside and headed for the bedrooms. Hermione and Ginny wished the boys a good night and went into Ginny's room. The girls changed for bed and laid down silently. After a moment, Hermione broke the silence. "So, what's this about you and Neville?"

Ginny laughed softly. "You've obviously been talking to Ron," she said. "Neville's really nice. He's not as shy as he was and we get along so well."

Hermione smiled. "That's great Ginny," she said. "Neville's a good guy and it's about time he had the chance to be with someone like you. You'll be good for him." Ginny blushed.

"What about you Hermione?" Ginny asked slyly. "Anybody you'd like to pay special attention to?"

It was Hermione's turn to blush. "No," she said with a little sigh. "I'm far too busy for that sort of thing."

Ginny smiled wickedly. "You do spend a lot of time with Professor Snape," she said pointedly.

"What are you saying Ginny Weasley?" Hermione asked indignantly.

"Just that you being around Professor Snape would stop any guys your age from approaching you for fear of being turned to stone," Ginny said in a casual voice. Hermione giggled. "Maybe that's not so bad," Ginny added, smirking. "Perhaps you'll see him as the attractive, dark, mysterious type. Viktor Krum was moody and you seemed to like him."

Hermione shook her head. "You have a wild imagination," she said with a little laugh. "You can't really compare Viktor and Professor Snape. There's a big difference between the two."

"True," Ginny said nodding. "But, you've said yourself that Snape isn't all bad. He's got some very well hidden good qualities, apparently."

Hermione laughed and rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Go to sleep Ginny."

"Goodnight Hermione," Ginny replied with an impish grin. She turned out the light and fell silent. Hermione sighed quietly. It seemed that Ginny was going to be just about as "helpful" as the headmaster when it came to dealing with Professor Snape.


	14. Enchanted Mistletoe

Three days before Christmas, Hermione and Harry arrived at Grimmauld Place with the Weasleys. Molly Weasley motioned for them to talk quietly so they wouldn't disturb the painting of Mrs. Black. "I'm going to make dinner," Molly whispered. "You kids go into the drawing room. There's someone waiting for you."

Hermione led the way into the drawing room and immediately noticed some spiky, violet-colored hair. "Tonks!" she exclaimed quietly as she and Ginny rushed forward to hug the young auror. Harry closed the door behind the group so they could speak at normal volumes.

"Hello everyone," Tonks said brightly. "I've been decorating." Hermione glanced around the room and saw that Tonks had set up a Christmas tree in one corner of the room. It was covered with brightly colored baubles and garland. Lights were dancing in the branches of the tree that Hermione suspected to be fairy lights. There was holly decorating the mantle of the fire place and there was mistletoe in the doorway. Hermione grinned. She'd have to make sure not to walk through the doorway with any of the boys.

"Can we help with anything?" Harry asked Tonks, also looking nervously at the mistletoe.

"Not right now, but thanks," Tonks said. "Dinner should be ready soon and we have some friends joining us."

"Who?" Harry and Ron asked at the same time.

"Oh, just some members of the Order," Tonks said with a sly smile.

"Come on Tonks, just tell us," George said impatiently.

"We wouldn't want to keep our young friends waiting," said a voice behind them. They turned around to see that Remus Lupin had slipped into the room unnoticed by everyone except Tonks.

"Remus!" Harry and Ron exclaimed. Remus was smiling and shaking hands with the boys. "You'll be here for Christmas?" Harry asked putting a hand on Remus' shoulder.

"Of course," Remus replied smiling widely and winking at Hermione and Ginny. "Let's go see if dinner's ready." He ushered everyone out of the room and followed the group to the dining room not noticing when Fred discreetly pointed his wand at the mistletoe. He bumped into Tonks just outside the doorway of the dining room. Everyone had stopped walking suddenly. He looked to see that Ron and Harry had stopped in their tracks at the sight of the people already seated at the table.

Hermione impatiently pushed them toward the table. She smiled at the headmaster who was sitting at the head of the table. On his left was Professor McGonagall, who was watching Tonks walk into the kitchen, probably to offer assistance. On the other side of Professor McGonagall sat the person who was the source of Harry and Ron's looks of irritation and reluctance to enter the room.

Professor Snape was sitting at the table looking as if he had resigned himself to a terrible fate. Hermione glanced nervously at the potions master. She decided that he was as close to sulking as she had ever seen him. She looked over at the headmaster who had seen her looking at the grumpy professor. Dumbledore smiled and winked at her. "_Ah, so Dumbledore is coercing Snape to be here," _she thought.

Hermione sat down next to Ginny and left an empty to chair next to her for Tonks while Harry and Ron sat next to the twins. Remus went to sit across from Snape and McGonagall.

"I trust everyone is enjoying their holidays so far," Dumbledore said kindly when everyone was seated. Snape snorted derisively, earning a glare from Professor McGonagall.

"We've had a great time, Professor Dumbledore," Ginny said cheerfully.

"Wonderful," Dumbledore replied.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the kitchen door where Tonks was emerging, levitating a stack of plates. To their dismay, Tonks stumbled and the levitation spell was released. Hermione already had her wand out and quickly said "_Arresto momentum" _effectively slowing down the fall of the plates. Harry immediately jumped up and caught the plates. He set them down on the table. Tonks flushed. "Sorry," she muttered. Hermione smiled warmly at her and motioned for her to sit down.

A moment later, Molly entered the room levitating various dishes of food onto the table. Arthur Weasley followed with mugs of butterbeer floating ahead of him. Soon, everyone had a plate fool of delicious food. The conversations stayed light and pleasant. Professor Snape remained silent throughout the meal. As desert, rhubarb pie, was passed around, Dumbledore began talking to Remus about a meeting that would be taking place the next day. Harry attempted to listen to the conversation, but he only heard a few words that he didn't find very helpful in finding out what was going on.

When everyone appeared to be full, Dumbledore spoke up. "Wonderful dinner, Molly," he said smiling. "We'll be enjoying many meals together. Remus and Tonks will be staying here with you. I've also asked Professor Snape to stay here." Snape was scowling.

"Why?" Ron blurted out without thinking.

"Well, I rather feel that he needs a break from all his work," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling madly. "Now, when we have a meeting with the order, he needs only to walk downstairs." Hermione had a feeling there was more to the story than Dumbledore was saying, but she didn't ask. She looked at Snape to see him glaring at his plate as if it had offended him.

"Snape looks thrilled to be here," Ron said sarcastically as they started to leave the room. "Just ecstatic."

"Yeah, I wish he'd control himself," Harry said dryly causing Hermione and Ginny to go into a fit of giggles. The twins chuckled as Ron attempted an imitation of Snape's sour expression. They rushed out of the room so they wouldn't be questioned about their laughter.

Later that evening, Hermione was sitting alone in the drawing room reading. The others had gone upstairs to play exploding snap. She yawned and stretched, closing her book. She decided to go upstairs and say goodnight to the others before going to bed. She set her book on a small table and headed toward the door. She nearly bumped into Professor Snape who had just stepped through the doorway.

"Excuse me Professor Snape," she muttered softly stepping around him. She suddenly found herself unable to move away. She looked at Professor Snape to see a look of complete confusion on his face. He attempted to move away from her, but was unable to. He let out a growl of frustration.

"Oh dear," Dumbledore said walking up to them chuckling. Professor McGonagall was next to him looking at Snape and Hermione in surprise. "It appears we have an unusual problem," he said pointing at the small plant adorning the doorway. Snape looked up and recognized the mistletoe. His face took on a look of slight panic.

"Why are they stuck Albus?" Minerva asked worriedly.

"It appears a charm has been placed on the mistletoe," the headmaster replied. "It seems that the charm won't allow you to leave that spot until you have…. Followed through with tradition." Hermione gasped and looked sharply at Professor Snape and then back at Dumbledore.

"Oh my," McGonagall said anxiously. "What can we do?"

"Well, I'm afraid that you and I would be of little assistance in this particular situation," Dumbledore replied, grinning. "We'll leave you to it," he said to Snape and Hermione. He quickly steered McGonagall to another room.

Hermione stared after them for a moment looking shell shocked. She hesitantly looked back at Snape who was so stiff that he had either died standing up or was too surprised to move at all. He looked down at her and opened his mouth as if to say something before he quickly closed it again.

Upstairs Ginny was listening to the boys talking. She was alarmed when she heard Fred say that he had charmed the mistletoe in the drawing room. "What will it do?" Ron asked eagerly.

Fred grinned mischievously. "Well, if a guy and girl walk under it and don't uphold the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe, it holds them there until they do," he said laughing. "I thought it'd be funny with all those members of the order around here tomorrow.

"Brilliant," Harry said chuckling.

"Oh no," Ginny groaned. "Hermione's down in the drawing room. I'd better go warn her before she gets caught under the mistletoe." She jumped up and hurried out of the room. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she was surprised to see Hermione and Professor Snape standing beneath that wretched mistletoe looking unsettled. Instead of saying anything, since it was obviously too late to warn Hermione, she decided to watch what would happen. Ginny's expression turned smug when Snape suddenly looked resolute and determined.

Hermione swallowed hard when Snape's expression suddenly changed. He looked as if he had made a decision. Her stomach tightened and she briefly wondered if she might pass out. She automatically closed her eyes when Professor Snapes head lowered to hers. She felt the pressure of his lips pressing gently into hers. She noted that his lips were warm and soft. When he pulled away, her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him. He looked as dazed as she felt.

Professor Snape quickly turned away from her and walked into the drawing room. Hermione headed for the stairs to see Ginny standing there with a look of triumph. Hermione blushed when Ginny grabbed her hand and said "Let's go have a talk." Ginny grinned and led a slightly shaky Hermione up the stairs.


	15. An Embarrassing Discussion

Ginny shut the bedroom door softly and spun around to face Hermione excitedly. Her excitement fizzled a little when she saw the brunette's obvious distress. "Well?" she said curiously.

Hermione's face was flushed and she was chewing her lip nervously. She looked down at the floor and fought to keep herself from trembling. Ginny gently guided her to sit down on one of the beds. Ginny sat down next to her and smiled. "So, that was interesting," Ginny said casually, examining her finger nails.

Hermione buried her face in her hands. Ginny lay a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave Hermione time to collect herself a bit. "How did that happen?" Hermione moaned through her hands.

"Fred," Ginny said with a smirk. When Hermione looked up at her in confusion, Ginny said "As we were leaving the drawing room to go to dinner, Fred put a charm on the mistletoe. If two people pass beneath it without the traditional kiss, the charm holds them there until they do kiss."

Hermione groaned. "I should have known," she said scowling. "I can't even tell them off because I certainly don't want the boys to know that I kissed Professor Snape." She shuddered at the idea. She'd never hear the end of it, and she wouldn't really be all that surprised if Ron's head exploded if he ever heard that bit of information

"Well, actually, he kissed you," Ginny said grinning. "He initiated it, although I must say you didn't look as if you objected to it."

"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed, blushing again.

"Oh, come on Hermione," Ginny said smiling. "It couldn't have been that bad. I certainly thought that it looked enjoyable." Hermione smiled slightly. "What was it like?" Ginny asked gently.

"It was surprising," Hermione admitted reluctantly. "I didn't think he'd kiss me. When I realized that he was going to, I thought it'd be a quick peck and we'd be done with." Hermione looked at Ginny frowning slightly. "It certainly wasn't long, but it was…"

"Lingering?" Ginny supplied. Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, I could see that," Ginny said with a small smile. "I was shocked as well. I wish someone would kiss me like that." She gave a wistful sigh. Hermione looked sharply at her. Ginny smiled. "That kiss looked so gentle. Almost tender if you can believe that. And since you closed your eyes," she smirked at Hermione, "you didn't see Snape's face. He looked completely relaxed for a moment. I half expected him to caress your face. But, he ended the kiss too quickly." She scowled as if that fact had been a source of great inconvenience for her.

"You're hopeless Ginny," Hermione said laughing. "You're disappointed that you didn't get to see a teacher snogging his student. That's kind of sick don't you think?" she said with a smirk. Ginny shrugged and fell back on the bed giggling. Hermione grinned in spite of her anxiety about what had happened with her professor. She wondered how he was feeling about the situation.

Downstairs, Snape was pacing furiously in the drawing room. He refused to allow himself to consider what had just happened. Hermione Granger was a student and he had only kissed her to release himself from that bloody charm. His pacing was interrupted when Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall entered the drawing room. They paused briefly under the mistletoe for Albus to give Minerva a quick kiss before walking up to Severus Snape. Minerva was looking irritatingly smug. "So, I see you and the head girl have managed to escape that little charm. However did you accomplish it?" she asked with a smirk.

"You know bloody well how we accomplished it," Severus replied sneering at her.

Albus chuckled softly. "I must say Severus, you had her stunned." At the Potions Master's confused look he said "I stayed nearby to see what would happen," Albus said looking slightly guilty. "You handled it fairly well. And I'm sure Miss Granger is fine. Miss Weasley will see to that."

"Miss Weasley?" Severus asked sharply.

"Well, she came down the stairs in time to see…. It happen," Albus said carefully to avoid making Severus more angry. "She seemed to find the scene very interesting. Then she took Miss Granger upstairs, no doubt to discuss a certain a professor." He smiled brightly. Severus scowled. Minerva seemed to be enjoying the situation far too much.

"Handled it well, did he?" she said with a smirk to Albus. She looked over at Severus. "Perhaps you and your apprentice will have a special bond now."

"Minerva, you are the most vexing woman I have ever had the misfortune of being forced to come into contact with," Severus growled at her.

"Severus, you know flattery gets you nowhere with me," she replied haughtily.

"Let's play nice," Albus chided them. "Minerva and I are taking the floo back to Hogwarts. Get a good night's sleep Severus. I'll be back in the morning and we'll prepare for the meeting." Before Severus could reply, Albus and Minerva had disappeared through the fireplace.

Severus sighed in irritation and stalked up the stairs to the room that had been set up for him. He slammed the door and dressed for bed. Little did he know that his room was next door to the room Hermione and Ginny were in.

The two girls heard the door next door slam and they looked at each other, slightly startled. "Well, I guess that means Professor Snape has the room next door," Ginny said smiling. "I assume that he's going to bed."

Hermione sighed. "I bet he's so angry about what happened. By the sound of that door slamming, he's irate," she said nervously.

"Don't be silly, Hermione," Ginny said patting her friend's hand. "I bet you anything that Dumbledore was down there twinkling at him and McGonagall was driving him crazy." At Hermione's amused look, she said "I've noticed a few things. A few times I've noticed Snape and McGonagall looking in your direction from the head table. McGonagall always looks like she's finding something unbelievably funny and Snape always looks furious. Of course, Dumbledore just watches them like it's a Quidditch match or something." The girls laughed.

"You know, you're a little scary," Hermione said grinning. "Why on earth have you been watching Snape and McGonagall?"

"Well," Ginny said smirking, "I had started wondering how things were going with you working with Snape all the time. You got along well. Harry and Ron told me about that oddly convenient temporary sticking charm. I thought that perhaps something more could possibly happen. You are older than the other students thanks to that time turner. You certainly don't look like a child anymore." Ginny looked critically at her friend's mature body. "You don't find those curves on most seventh years. I'd kill for hips like yours." Hermione blushed.

"Erm… Well, thanks," Hermione said with a small smile.

"Let's go to bed," Ginny said smothering a yawn with her hand. "We'll get to see the effects of the infamous lip-lock in the morning."

Hermione grinned and the two of them dressed for bed. They fell asleep soon after laying down. Hermione's dreams that night were haunted by a familiar dark figure.

Hermione woke up early the next morning and dressed in jeans and a pale blue sweater with a v-neck and bell sleeves. She slipped out of the room quietly so that she wouldn't wake Ginny. Hermione walked down the stairs and walked into the dining room. She almost panicked when she saw Professor Snape sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading the Daily Prophet. She hurried and into the kitchen and made a cup of hot tea before returning to the dining room to sit at the table. "Good morning Professor," she mumbled.

He glanced up at her and grunted in response. He refused to look her in the eye. A moment later, they looked up when Dumbledore entered the room with McGonagall trailing behind him. "Just flooed in," he said cheerfully. "Ah, glad to see you two in the same room and not stuck together." He grinned at Hermione, who blushed slightly but returned his smile.

Professor Snape glared at the headmaster but didn't say anything. The crazy old man was worse than McGonagall and he didn't want to give them more ammunition to make him uncomfortable by commenting. It was going to be a long and trying day with the two of them smiling away and enjoying his discomfort.


	16. Bloody Sticking Charms!

The afternoon passed peacefully enough as the members of the Order of the Phoenix met in a room downstairs and the others were left to their own devices. Hermione and Ginny sat side by side on a bed while Harry and Ron played exploding snap. The twins were sitting on the other side of the bedroom, talking in low voices. Hermione kept looking at them suspiciously. They were probably busy plotting their next prank.

"Snape was in a terrible mood today," Harry said suddenly. He jumped when the deck of cards suddenly exploded. "Bloody hell," he said laughing. "I hate it when that happens. Anyway, Snape was looking like someone had forced to drink stink sap instead of coffee."

"You never know with that git," Ron said dusting off his robes. "I can't imagine why Dumbledore would want him to stay at headquarters. He obviously didn't want to and I must say that I'm not particularly thrilled to have him sleeping just down the hall." He shuddered slightly.

"I'm with you," Fred said, suddenly entering the conversation. "Although, I think it's bloody hilarious that old McGonagall is taking every opportunity to drive him batty."

Hermione and Ginny glanced at each other and grinned. Hermione had told Ginny about the headmasters comments about her and the professor no longer being stuck together. They, of course, had no intention of telling the guys about it.

"I wonder what's going on in that meeting?" Harry said thoughtfully.

"Just status reports and such," said a voice from the doorway. Remus was standing there, smiling at them. "We did, however, discuss the fact that Miss Granger needs to pay a visit to her family. We had decided a two weeks ago that she'd need to escorted, so we had to choose one."

"And who is it?" Ron asked before Hermione had the chance to. She frowned at him in irritation.

"Professor Snape," Remus replied simply. All of the boys in the room had looks of horror on their faces. "It was Dumbledore's decision. He thought it was best. Snape's a bit angry. He looked like he knew what was going to happen before Dumbledore even gave him the job."

Hermione got off the bed and mumbled some excuse as she left the room. She walked down the stairs to the dining room where she could hear voices. Ginny, who had followed her, came up beside her and they entered the dining room together. Snape was looking irritated. "I have better things to do," he snapped at Dumbledore, ignoring the presence of the two young Gryffindors.

"Severus, it will do you good. She is your apprentice afterall," Dumbledore said with a small smile. "You'll have the opportunity to meet her parents."

"Headmaster," Snape growled, "I have been teaching Miss Granger for over six years. Why on earth would I want to meet the, no doubt, ridiculous people that spawned the little know-it-all?"

"I'm still in the room, Professor," Hermione said furiously through clenched teeth.

"Well, I wasn't really trying to keep my feelings on the matter a secret," he retorted haughtily.

"You horrible man," Hermione sputtered angrily. The two were glaring at each other while Ginny looked on, smirking. Dumbledore didn't seem in the least bit concerned about the furious glaring. McGonagall, however looked ready to take matters into her own hands.

Snape turned his head to comment to McGonagall about her irritating Gryffindors, when he saw her lift her wand. She exchanged a quick look with Dumbledore who nodded. She mumbled something that nobody heard and a spell shot out of her wand at the angry professor. Snape just stared at her for a moment in shock and confusion. What did that spell do? Suddenly, he felt something slam into his chest and he closed his eyes for a moment in exasperation. He then looked down to see Hermione up against his chest, looking up at him in horror. "BLOODY TEMPORARY STICKING CHARMS!" Snape bellowed furiously.

Dumbledore smiled. "Ah, yes. Thank you Minerva. That should help."

"What?" Hermione and Snape said in confusion. Ginny merely smiled.

"Sticking charms seem to help you two get along better," McGonagall said with a smirk in Snape's direction. "Miss Granger, I know he started it, but he is a professor."

"Tomorrow, the two of you will apparate to a location near the Granger home," Dumbledore said calmly, ignoring the fact that Snape was clearly wishing that looks could kill. "You will be on your best behavior. After your visit, you will come back here. Miss Granger, your parents know that you are coming and have requested that the two of you stay for dinner."

Hermione nodded, but said nothing. "Well," McGonagall said with a smile, "You two should probably have dinner upstairs. This could be hard to explain to Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley."

Hermione and Snape glanced at each other and trudged up the stairs together silently. Hermione smiled slightly when she heard Ginny say "I really don't know which one I should feel sorry for." Dumbledore and McGonagall chuckled. Hermione shook her head and allowed Snape to lead her into his room.

A house elf soon brought Hermione and Snape dinner and left without commenting on their situation. After eating in silence, Hermione and Snape sat down on the small couch in Snape's bedroom. It was getting late and they'd need to sleep some time. "Did you want to read before going to bed?" Snape asked stiffly, wincing slightly at his choice of words. Hermione nodded and walked with Snape as he retrieved a book for her, along with one for himself.

They read in silence until Hermione's eyelids started to droop. Snape set their books on the floor silently and moved to sit side ways across the couch, setting Hermione between his thighs. He got himself into a relaxed position and allowed Hermione to lean back against his chest. "Sleep," he commanded sharply. Hermione found that sleeping was a difficult thing to do in her current position, but she eventually managed to fall asleep.

The sleeping pair didn't notice when Dumbledore peeked into the room to check on them. Hermione was against the potions master's chest and her head was laying on his shoulder. Snape seemed to be quite comfortable with his arms around Hermione's body. The headmaster smiled and silently left the room. "Yes, indeed," Dumbldore said softly. "That sticking charm comes in handy."


	17. Going Home

Hermione woke up the next morning feeling warm and content. "_Christmas eve,"_ she thought with a smile. She became aware of the body that she was snuggled up against. She sat up slowly and turned to look at the face of her professor. He was still sleeping peacefully.

Hermione decided to take a moment to observe the sleeping man. Snape's breathing was slow and even. He looked so different without that seemingly permanent sneer. His face looked tranquil when he wasn't trying to scare everyone out of their wits.

Severus Snape was beginning to stir in his sleep, so Hermione stood up next to the couch. Once again, she didn't have to be touching him, but the spell was preventing her from walking away from him. She waited patiently while he opened his eyes and sat up.

"Good morning Professor," Hermione said quietly, wondering what sort of mood he would be in.

Snape looked up at her for a moment before gruffly saying "good morning" in return. Hermione was slightly taken aback that he made a reply to her, but she merely smiled. "We're still stuck," she said gently. "I can only move about a foot away from you."

Silently, Snape stood up and used his wand to draw an invisible line between them. Instantly, the were free of the sticking charm. "Umm... Professor?" Hermione said tentatively.

"Yes?" Snape said stiffly.

"Why didn't you do that last night?" she asked him curiously.

"The spell was too strong last night," he replied not looking at her. "That little trick doesn't work until the spell has worn off some. Now, you should go get changed before breakfast," he said dismissively.

"Yes, sir," Hermione said quietly before slipping out of the room. She took a shower and then changed her clothes in the room that she and Ginny were sharing. Ginny entered the room just as Hermione pulled a soft green sweater over her head.

"There you are," Ginny said mischievously. "How did things go last night?"

Hermione blushed slightly. "It was rather uneventful," Hermione replied, refusing to look at her friend. "We had dinner, read for a little while, and then I fell asleep in his arms," she said in a, would be, casual voice.

"Ha!" Ginny exclaimed truimphantly. "How on earth did you pull that off?"

"You won't believe it," Hermione said looking thoughtful. Ginny gave her a challenging look, so Hermione sighed. "I got tired, so Professor Snape set my book on the floor. Then, he sort of stretched his legs out on the couch and had me sit between his legs and lay back against his chest. I seem to remember his arms being around me at some point during the night, but I'm not sure." She smiled at the astonished look on Ginny's face. "The same thing happened last time when Malfoy put the sticking charm on me."

Ginny fell onto her bed and went into a fit of giggles. "This is just too much!" she said breathlessly. "I wish I could have seen it."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Let's go to breakfast," she said pulling Ginny out of the room. They walked downstairs and went into the dining room where Harry and Ron were listening to Fred and George talk about some new products they were working on. "Good morning everyone," Hermione said with a cheerful smile.

The four young men grinned at her in response. "Today's the day Hermione," Ron said dramatically. "You have to let Snape go with you to visit your parents. We only hope you come home alive." Everyone rolled their eyes at him.

"What are all of you going to do while I'm gone?" Hermione said, wanting to keep the conversation away from Professor Snape.

"Me and Harry might help Fred and George test some of their new joke stuff," Ron said grinning. "And we're gonna plan some pranks to play on Malfoy."

"Wouldn't want you to do anything constructive," Hermione muttered in exasperation. "For example, I know you hate doing homework, but you have to do it sometime before the holidays are over."

"Hermione," Ron said in a pained voice. "I love my homework. That's why I'm saving so much of it for later." Harry snickered while Ginny sighed.

"Mr. Weasley, people like you are the reason that people like me take headache relief potions," Professor Snape said coldly from the doorway. At this comment, Hermione, Ginny, Harry and the twins snorted with laughter. Ron's face flushed slightly but he said nothing. "Miss Granger, if Mr. Weasley is finished acting like an imbecile for the time being," he glanced at Ron and sneered, "I came in to tell you that we'll be leaving for your parent's house after you have lunch today."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said politely. "I'll be ready." With that, Snape turned and walked out of the room. She looked at Ron and grinned at the angry look on his face. "Now, Ron. If he had said that to someone else, you would have thought it was funny too," she said gently. Ron smiled slightly.

After lunch that day, Hermione waved to her friends and allowed Professor Snape to lead her to the sitting room. "I need you to think of some place that we could apparate to where other people will not see us," Snape said looking at her expectantly. Hermione thought for a moment and had an idea. She looked back at Snape. "Close your eyes and hold that image in your head. Think of nothing else." He placed his hands on her shoulders and they closed their eyes. Hermione heard a popping sound and then opened her eyes. She looked around to see that they were standing in her mother's private garden. Snape looked around, taking in the unfamiliar surrounding and making sure they hadn't been seen by any muggles. Looking back at Hermione he said "Lead the way."

Hermione led him to the back door of the large house. She opened the door and walked in tentatively. "Mum?" she called. "Dad?"

"Hermione!" a woman squealed. Hermione had suddenly found herself in her mother's loving embrace.


	18. Tour Guide

Professor Snape found himself standing in the dining room of the Granger home. There was a large table that, at the present, held only a large basket of assorted fruits. The room was very comfortable and warm. Snape grimaced slightly at the sight of the floral print curtains.

"Oh, welcome home Hermione," Mrs. Granger said releasing Hermione from her crushing embrace. "We're so glad to see you dear. Mr. Dumbledore has been in contact with us and he told us when you'd be coming. I certainly didn't expect you to show up at the back door." Mrs. Granger paused and looked up curiously at the dark man standing in the doorway behind her daughter. She looked nervously at his black robes.

"Mum, this is Professor Snape," Hermione said gesturing to the potions master. She looked at Snape, but she couldn't read his expression.

"Welcome to my home Professor Snape," Mrs. Granger said feeling relieved. "I'm Emily Granger, Hermione's mother. Obviously." She smiled at Hermione.

"Indeed," Snape replied, bowing slightly to the woman. She looked like an older, rounder version of Hermione. "I will leave you to visit and I will return for you after dinner," he said silkily to Hermione.

"Oh, no. Please stay Professor Snape," Mrs. Granger said kindly. "I made so much food because I was told that you'd both stay. We would love to have you. Hermione speaks so highly of you."

Hermione felt her face grow hot when the professor glanced at her briefly and said "Is that so?" He looked back at Mrs. Granger and said "Very well." Mrs. Granger beamed.

"Oh good!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "Mr. Granger will be home in time for dinner. He's been at the office all morning finishing some paperwork."

"On Christmas Eve?" Hermione asked, a little disappointed that he wasn't home yet.

"You know your father," Mrs. Granger said, with a good natured roll of her eyes. "He loves his work. A workaholic if there ever was one."

"And I suppose he passed this trait to his daughter?" Snape asked with a slight smirk.

"So it would seem," Mrs. Granger said beaming Hermione proudly. "Hermione dear, why don't you give the professor a tour of the house while I make dinner?"

Hermione glanced at Professor Snape nervously. He looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. "Alright," she muttered softly. Her eyes followed her mother as she hurried out of the room. Hermione turned to Snape and took a deep breath. "This is obviously the dining room," she stated simply.

"Obviously," he said in return, impatiently crossing his arms over his chest. He glanced around the room once more noting a doorway to his left that led to the kitchen. He allowed Hermione to lead him into the next room where he saw a large comfy looking couch and two armchairs. He looked with mild interest at the large television.

"This is the living room," Hermione said smiling slightly. "Are you familiar with televisions? Nevermind," she said shaking her head. "I forget that you're muggleborn. I've grown accustomed to describing everything to the Weasleys in great detail."

Snape nodded with a smirk and then gestured for her to continue.

Hermione nodded and led him into another room. "Here is the guest bedroom," she said. She waited patiently while Snape looked around at the spacious room. There was a large full size bed against the wall farthest from the door. It was covered by a fluffy dark blue comforter. To the left was a large oak bureau. On the right was a small oak table with two chairs. The room was simple but cozy. Hermione turned and walked back out of the room and walked over to a stairway where she waited for him. She pointed to a door to the left of the stairs. "That's a bathroom," she said glancing at him before walking up the stairs.

Hermione took another deep breath. Leading Professor Snape all over her parent's house was making her quite nervous. She stopped at the top of the stairs and led him straight to her bedroom. She winced slightly when she realized what she had done. She certainly didn't want to have the brooding potions master following her into her bedroom. "_Too late now_," she thought. "_I've already led him in here_."

"This is my room," she told him quietly.

Hermione struggled not to hold her breath as Snape's dark eyes roamed around her room. The comforter on her bed was a rich deep red color with gold lining and embroidery. "_Ridiculous Gryffindor_," Snape thought with a smirk. The bedposts were made of dark cherry wood. At the foot of the bed was a large trunk. There was a book shelf to the left of the bed that was full of books both magical and muggle. There was a table with a small lamp to the right of the bed where he suspected that Hermione spent a lot time working. There was also a large bureau in the room. The whole bedroom had a warm comforting feeling about it. Snape was relieved to see that the curtains didn't have flowers on them. Instead, they matched the comforter on the bed. "You used Gryffindor colors," he said silkily. "How very predictable."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but couldn't contain her sigh of relief. She had expected a much worse response. "Come on then," she said leading him back out to the hall way. She showed him another guest bedroom that was identical to the first, except for the fact that the comforter was a rich green color. She led Snape to her parents' room and grinned when he looked into see a room very similar to her own, but with floral prints on the bed and curtains. He grimaced but politely examined the room like he had the others. "I take it that you don't care for flowers," Hermione said with a small smile once she had closed the door to that room.

"Your assessment would be correct," Snape replied with a shudder. Hermione giggled earning a glare from him.

"Well, that's everything," Hermione said looking around for a moment. "There is another bathroom there." She pointed to another door right across from the stairway. When Snape nodded she led him back downstairs. "Let's see how dinner is coming along," she said going back to the dining room.

"Hermione, your father called and he'll be here any minute," Mrs. Granger said, coming out of the kitchen to meet them. "He wants us to go to the living room. He has something for you."

Hermione looked at her mother curiously but her mother ignored her look and ushered them into the living room. Mrs. Granger left the room and came back a moment later with mugs of some warm liquid. Hermione sat down on the couch and motioned for Professor Snape to sit down as well. He sat and hesitantly accepted the mug and glanced at Hermione. "Apple cider," she whispered to him. "It's really hot, but it's good." She smiled as he carefully sipped at it and visibly relaxed.

Mrs. Granger sat in on of the armchairs with her cider. The three of them remained silent for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of the warm mugs in their hands. The sound of a door opening caught their attention. Mr. Granger walked into the living room holding a package covered in red and green wrapping paper. Professor Snape reached over and took the mug of apple cider out of Hermione's hands so she could go to her father.

"There's my baby girl," Mr. Granger said affectionately. His hair was short and less curly than his wife and daughter's hair. He was tall and lean with lines around his mouth and eyes that seemed to indicate that he smiled a great deal. His dark brown eyes were currently resting on his daughter. "You've changed even more since we last saw you," he said smiling.

Mr. Granger turned his attention to Professor Snape. "I'm Stephen Granger, Hermione's father," he said shaking Snape's hand when Hermione took her mug from the professor. She looked nervously at her father who seemed to examining Snape very carefully.

"Dad, this is Professor Snape," Hermione said quickly. "He teaches potions at Hogwarts."

"Ah yes," Mr. Granger said with a polite nod. "We've heard about you. Hermione's your apprentice."

"Yes," Snape said simply. He shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't very sure of what to say or do. He had promised Dumbledore that he would be agreeable and somewhat pleasant while at the Granger's house. It wasn't especially difficult, but he was left feeling uncertain about how to maintain a conversation.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," Mr. Granger said gesturing to the couch. "Hermione, your mother and I ordered something for you. With the help of the headmaster of course. An owl delivered it to the office today. I wrapped it before coming home." He handed the package over to his daughter.

Hermione smiled and pulled the wrapping paper off to reveal a plain cardboard box. She opened it curiously and saw that it contained very silky cloth that was the color of red wine. With a smile, she lifted it out of the box to find that it was dress robes. "How beautiful," she murmured.

"Go try it on," her mother said, smiling brightly.

Hermione got up and went into the bathroom to change. Moments later she stepped back into the living room. She blushed slightly as Professor Snape and her parents looked her over. The robes had a v-neck and bell sleeves. The silky material hugged her curves slightly, making it very clear that she had grown up quite a bit. The robes flared out around her legs. She spun around in delight, enjoying the way the robes swirled around her.

"Oh, you look beautiful," Mrs. Granger said looking tearful. "Isn't she lovely Professor Snape?"

"Yes," Snape said softly looking at the beautiful woman in front of him. He had been slightly startled that he had been asked but, he managed to mask his surprise somewhat. Hermione was looking startled by his reply. She blushed and muttered a thank you. Stephen Granger was watching Snape's reaction with interest.

"Mr. Dumbledore told us that new dress robes might be useful in the near future," Mrs. Granger said grinning. Hermione looked at Professor Snape curiously, but he merely shrugged. "Anyway, Hermione get changed and meet us in the dining room," Mrs. Granger said leaving her chair and going to the kitchen.

Snape's black eyes followed Hermione's form out of the room. He noted her pleasantly rounded hips and small waist. When she had first walked in, he had noticed her full rounded breasts. She had changed so much over the past few years. He sneered at his train of thought. She was his know-it-all student, nothing more. He shook the image of her body out of his mind and followed her parents into the dining room.


	19. Dinner Interrogation

Upon entering the dining room, Mrs. Granger ushered Professor Snape into a chair at the table. She bustled about the table putting food onto four plates. Mrs. Granger sat down next to her husband and set a plate for Hermione next to Snape.

"So, Professor Snape," Mr. Granger said slowly, carefully observing the potions master. "What do you think of my little Hermione?"

"Stephen," Mrs. Granger admonished with a smile. "Hermione is eighteen. She's hardly little anymore. Actually she said something about her age being different in the wizarding world, but I don't understand why."

"Her use of a time turner caused her to age faster than her peers," Snape explained. "She was going back in time every day to take extra classes and all that extra time adds up. She's twenty years old in our world."

"Twenty?" Mrs. Granger asked in surprise. "She didn't tell us that her age was that different. No wonder she seemed to grow up so fast. She became an adult without us noticing it."

"Yes," Mr. Granger said quietly, still watching Snape.

Hermione entered the dining room smiling, having changed back into her jeans and sweater. Her smile faltered slightly when she noticed where her mother had placed her plate. "_Next to Snape_," she thought. "_It bloody figures_." Hermione drew a deep breath and walked to her seat. She sat down without looking at her professor.

"Mum and Dad, thank you so much for the dress robes," Hermione said with a bright smile. "They're beautiful."

"Of course darling," her mother replied. "Just make sure that you get pictures when... Well whenever the opportunity for you to wear them arises." She looked over at Professor Snape. "Do make sure that she doesn't forget to take pictures. Would you like me to send a camera?"

"That won't be necessary Mrs. Granger," Snape replied stiffly. "I believe we can manage your request in a satisfactory manner." Mrs. Granger beamed at him.

"You still haven't answered my question," Mr. Granger interjected, still watching Snape suspiciously.

"My apologies," came Snape's sleek reply. "What question would that be?"

"I asked what you thought of my little Hermione," Mr. Granger said with narrowed eyes.

Hermoine's face grew pale. She looked over at Professor Snape nervously. Would he really tell her parents that he saw her as nothing more than an irritating, know-it-all Gryffindor brat? Snape looked back at her momentarily before turning his gaze back to her father. "Miss Granger is one of the brightest students Hogwarts has ever seen," Snape said calmly, causing Hermione's mouth to drop open slightly in surprise. She quickly closed her mouth and tried to look flattered rather than stunned.

Snape continued, ignoring Hermione's shock. "Miss Granger has shown herself to be quite capable in all of her classes. That is of course with the exception of Divination, but I don't see how anyone could excel in that class with Trelawney predicting death and destruction to anyone with a pulse." He shook his head as if the thought of Professor Trelawney annoyed him to no end.

"What of your class?" Mr. Granger said, raising a questioning eyebrow.

Snape arched an eyebrow in return with an irritated smirk on his face. "Miss Granger is the only apprentice I have ever taken," he replied as if that ended the discussion.

"Really?" Mrs. Granger asked excitedly. "I should have known you'd be great, Hermione."

"Well, Professor Dumbledore sort of forced it on him, Mum," Hermione said, fearing an explosive reaction from Snape. She glanced quickly at the Professor who was managing to look completely calm.

"Academics aside," Mr. Granger persisted never taking his eyes off of Professor Snape. "What do you think of my daughter personally?"

"Dad!" Hermione exclaimed. She wondered briefly if anyone would notice if she just hid under the table.

"Stephen!" Mrs. Granger admonished. "Honestly! Why are you asking this poor man such ridiculous questions?"

"She's my daughter," Mr. Granger said to his wife. "I have the right to ask."

"Sure, you have the right. But, I don't think you have any sense left in your head," Mrs. Granger retorted furiously. "You will not ruin this dinner. Professor Snape was kind enough to bring her home for Christmas Eve. Hermione says he's an excellent teacher and she's his apprentice. Don't make things difficult. Hermione is an adult now. A young adult, but an adult all the same. Hermione dear, if you sink down any lower in the chair, you'll be having dinner on the floor."

Hermione blushed and sat up in her chair glancing nervously between her father and Professor Snape. Her father was looking suspiciously in Snape's direction, obviously not trusting the potions professor. Snape was shifting in his seat looking quite uncomfortable. She saw him glance in her direction a few times when her father's attention was elsewhere. Everyone finished eating in silence.

Mr. Granger excused himself from the table mumbling something about doing some paperwork. Mrs. Granger watched him leave with a slight frown on her face. Hermione cleared her throat and looked at her mother. "We should probably go, Mum," she said quietly.

"I know dear," Mrs. Granger said. She looked over at Snape. "Professor Snape, I apologize for my husband's behavior. I don't know what's gotten into him. He's very protective of Hermione."

"I understand," Snape said, although he looked as if he didn't think that it was a very good excuse for an interrogation. He rose from his seat and looked over at Hermione as she stood up, with what he hoped was a look of disinterest. He didn't want to answer any more questions from these people.

"Professor Snape, I wonder if you might go and retrieve Hermione's gift from the living room," Mrs. Granger said. "I'd like to have a quick word with her before you leave."

"Of course," Snape replied smoothly, turning and leaving the room.

Hermione looked at her mother curiously. She smiled as her mother pulled her into a hug. "Your dad just worries about you," Mrs. Granger said gently. "I must admit, Professor Snape does seem to have some sort of interest in you. He finds you attractive at least." At Hermione's startled look, she said "I saw the look on his face when you came in wearing those dress robes. He is still a man, after all. Unfortunately, your father also noticed and he didn't take it so well. I can't say that I'm not worried, but you're not a child any more, and you're smart enough to handle things on your own." She kissed Hermione's forehead affectionately.

Professor Snape returned to the dining room hesitantly, not wishing to disrupt the conversation. "Come on in, Professor Snape," Mrs. Granger said to him kindly. "You poor man. Stephen was such a tyrant to you. Don't worry, you will get no such harassment from me." This statement awarded her with a small, lopsided smile from Professor Snape, which surprised Hermione.

"Thank you for dinner Mrs. Granger," Snape said stiffly. He walked out the back door in a swirl of long black robes holding the box containing Hermione's dress robes. Hermione grinned and kissed her mother before following Professor Snape.

Snape walked back to the garden and looked around to be sure they wouldn't be noticed. He stopped and waited for Hermione to stand next to him. She stopped in front of him and looked up at his face apprehensively. "Close your eyes and picture the sitting room at headquarters in your head," he said in his velvety voice before reaching over and putting his free hand on her shoulder. Hermione did as she was told, and after hearing the familiar popping sound she found herself back at Grimmauld Place.

Snape quickly handed her the box and they stepped out of the room. At least, they attempted to. They were suddenly jerked back into the doorway violently. Snape's eyes widened and jerked up to see the charmed mistletoe still stubbornly sitting at the top of the door frame. "That was supposed to be gone by now," Snape growled in frustration.

"Ah, you've returned," Dumbledore said in greeting before seeing where Snape was looking. The headmaster saw the mistletoe and he grinned. "I asked Minerva to remove that before you returned. I see that it must have slipped her mind, and I didn't think it'd be necessary to check myself." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with glee. "Well, you know what to do," he said with a smile before turning and leaving.

Hermione would have laughed if it weren't for the look of discomfort on Snape's face. "When I find out who charmed the damn mistletoe..." he growled.

"It was Fred," Hermione said with a smirk. "But, you can't really say anything to them without admitting what happened. There's no way to know that the mistletoe is charmed unless someone gets caught under it. They'd want to know who was stuck together," she said reasonably.

"Fine," he snapped in frustration. "But, I'll have my revenge. Mark my words."

"I have no doubt about that," Hermione said smiling. She became nervous again when she remembered that she was still stuck with Snape under the mistletoe. She looked up at the professor to see him looking back at her, looking uncomfortable again.

Slowly, he lowered his face to hers, slightly surprised that she didn't cringe. Snape's eyes closed as he pressed his lips against Hermione's enjoying the way she felt against him. His hand came up to brush against her curly hair as he inched a little closer to her. Hermione sighed involuntarily against his lips, bringing him back to reality. He pulled away reluctantly and turned to walk away from her. He turned back for a moment and promptly shot a spell at the offending plant, blasting it unmercifully from the door frame. With a smirk of satisfaction he walked away. He had only taken a few steps before he nearly walked right into Ginny.

"Welcome back Professor Snape," Ginny said with an impish grin. Her smile only widened when he sneered at her. "Oh Hermione," Ginny called in a sing-song voice when Snape was out of ear-shot. "I need to speak with you."

Hermione stopped on her way up the stairs and turned to look at her friend. "I saw that missy," Ginny said with an evil smirk enjoying Hermione's look of panic. "I heard you apparate in. I saw Dumbledore leaving when he saw you two were stuck again. I think he wanted to stay and watch, but when he saw me, he just winked at me and left. I think he really missed out. That was quite a lip lock."

Hermione groaned. "Let's go upstairs," she said softly glancing around cautiously. When the two girls got up to their room, Hermione sighed and sat heavily on her bed. She set the box she was holding on the floor.

"How did it go with your parents?" Ginny asked curiously.

"I suppose it could have been worse," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "My parents ordered beautiful dress robes for me, with Dumbledore's help. Of course, my mother wanted me to try them on, which I did. Unfortunately, my dad decided that he didn't like Snape's reaction. Apparently, Snape liked what he saw and didn't do such a great job hiding that fact. My dad asked Snape a bunch of questions during dinner about what he thought of me, academically and otherwise. I was so embarrassed. But, mum came to the rescue and made my dad stop talking."

Ginny laughed and shook her head. "I would have loved to see all that," she said. "And I think your dad was right to worry. That was some kiss. You have all the luck Hermione."

"Ginny!" Hermione said in exasperation. "I keep getting stuck to the man. Twice with the mistletoe and twice with the temporary sticking charm. And, speaking of that charm, I'm going to do some research and figure out how to take get rid of it without waiting for it to wear off."

"Oh, that won't be necessary," Ginny said casually. "I figured that out while you were gone." At Hermione's look of astonishment Ginny continued. "I was bored while you were away and I agreed to help the boys with some pranks. I went into Snape's room to see if he had any helpful books. While I was in there, I found the books you two were reading still on the floor. I knew which one Snape was reading because Dumbledore walked in and gave me a little hint, the crafty old man. Snape's book was on different types of charms, so I flipped through it. I went to the beginning to see what he'd already read, and guess which charm was there."

Hermione folded her arms over her chest wondering when Ginny was going to get to the point. "It was the temporary sticking charm," Ginny said smug grin. "To end the spell, all you have to do is cast the banishing charm on each other. It balances with the sticking charm to prevent you from being thrown, but it would undo the charm."

"It makes sense," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"You're missing the point," Ginny said impatiently. "The point is, Snape already knew how to get rid of the sticking charm, and he chose to leave it."


	20. Unexpected Gifts

Hermione stared at Ginny silently for a moment. "What?" she asked finally.

"Snape knew how to get rid of that sticking charm," Ginny said, smiling brightly. "He knew! Maybe not the first time you were stuck together, but he most certainly knew the second time around."

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "Oh my goodness," she murmured softly. She scowled irritably. "I can't believe him. He could have fixed the problem and he didn't. That man is just horrible!"

"Hermione, I think you're looking at this the wrong way," Ginny said with a small smile at her friend's obvious frustration. Hermione arched a questioning eyebrow. Ginny's smile widened as she said "Look at it this way: Snape knew how to get rid of the sticking charm but didn't, leaving us to come to the conclusion that he wanted to remain stuck to you. Unless, of course, he left it to teach you a lesson, but I really doubt it after seeing the way he kissed you downstairs."

Hermione shook her head slightly. "What am I supposed to do now?" Hermione asked with an anxious expression.

"Well, how do you feel about all of this?" Ginny asked with an expression of great interest. "Are you attracted to him?"

Hermione started to say no, but she was cut off by Ginny crossing her arms and giving her a knowing look. Hermione blushed and sputtered slightly. "Why did you ask if you already knew the answer?" she demanded.

Ginny giggled. "Maybe I just wanted to hear you say it," Ginny replied with a cheeky grin. "So, when did it happen?" she asked.

"When did I lose my mind, you mean?" Hermione said dryly. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I've been working closely with Professor Snape for a while now. I've always admired his skill and intelligence. He's always so sarcastic, but he's sort of funny in his own way. He's got some good in him, but he's been forced to hide it for so long." Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment. "Sometimes, he's almost kind to me. You should have heard what he said about me at dinner with my parents."

"What did he say?" Ginny asked.

"He told them that I was one of the best students Hogwarts has ever had," Hermione said, recalling the conversation with her parents. "He said that I did well in all of my subjects and that I'm the first apprentice he's ever taken."

"Wow," Ginny said, looking impressed. "That's really high praise coming from Snape. Now, we just have to figure out where to go from here. I'll have to think it over, but I want to find a way to watch the two of you together. Maybe we can give him a little push in your direction. So far, it seems that charmed mistletoe is pretty effective with him..."

Hermione laughed. "No more plotting for tonight Ginny," she said, shaking her head. "Tomorrow is Christmas, so let's just get some rest. We'll worry about Snape later."

Downstairs, in the dining room, Albus and Minerva were listening to Snape's account of what went on at the Granger home. "And then we went back to the garden and apparated back here," Snape said, concluding his story.

"Interesting," Albus said smiling. "I spoke with Mrs. Granger myself shortly after you left her home. I hear that the dress robes looked stunning on the young Miss Granger," he said with a knowing look in Snape's direction. Snape scowled. "However," Dumbledore continued, "Stephen Granger didn't seem to appreciate your enjoyment of the view. Mrs. Granger, on the other hand, seemed to find your company most enjoyable and said that you are welcome back any time." Dumbledore smiled brightly. Snape sneered, but remained silent.

"Enjoyment of the view?" Minerva said with a snort of laughter. "Severus, it's nice to know that you're still human after all these years."

"I wasn't enjoying the view," Snape growled in protest. "Miss Granger entered the room wearing her new robes and I merely looked at her. Her parents would have thought I was rude if I completely ignored her presence." He folded his arms disdainfully over his chest.

"Now, Severus," McGonagall chided gently, "since when do you care about people thinking that you're rude?"

Severus Snape shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "The headmaster requested that I be polite and agreeable," he said, trying to defend himself. He sneered when Minerva smirked at him.

"There's no need to argue," Albus said calmly, not wanting to frustrate Severus further. "I merely wished to hear that your visit went well. Minerva and I will be going back to Hogwarts now. We'll see you tomorrow. We'll all be having Christmas dinner together after the meeting."

Snape groaned at the thought being forced to sit through another meeting. He nodded irritably at Minerva and Albus before walking out of the room. Albus exchanged a mischievous grin with Minerva before leading her out of the room to go back to Hogwarts.

Harry and Ron were getting ready for bed and discussing various pranks that they had been plotting with Fred and George. "By the way, Fred and George told me that someone blew up that mistletoe that Fred charmed," Ron said looking over at Harry.

"It was probably Snape," Harry said laughing. "It sounds like the sort of thing he would do."

"Well, that's what George said," Ron told him, buttoning up his flannel shirt. "George asked Dumbledore what Snape had against mistletoe and apparently Dumbledore refused to comment."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Well, I don't know," Ron replied with a shrug. "But, apparently Dumbledore kind of chuckled when they mentioned it. Fred reckons that Snape got himself caught in the mistletoe." Both boys laughed at the thought.

"Who would he have gotten stuck with though?" Harry said, as his laughter subsided. "Maybe Tonks. Or McGonagall." Ron made a look of disgust. "Or Hermione!" Harry said loudly, in realization.

"Hermione?" Ron asked doubtfully.

"She left with Snape today to see her parents," Harry said, lowering his voice. "They came back to the sitting room, so to leave they'd have to walk under that mistletoe."

"So, maybe after he they... you know... he blew up the mistletoe," Ron said, beginning to look angry.

"That may not be what happened," Harry said quickly, trying to soothe his friend. "We'll ask about it. You'll just start a fight with Hermione if you accuse her of snogging Snape."

Ron nodded reluctantly. They each climbed into bed and fell silent for a moment. Each was surprised to have their thoughts consumed by images of Hermione. Images of her beautifully curved body and lovely face eventually lulled them to sleep.

Hermione woke early the next morning and rolled over to see if Ginny was awake. Ginny was still sleeping peacefully so Hermione got up as quietly as she could ignoring the gifts at the foot of her bed, for the time being. She slipped on her jeans, a warm red sweater and a pair of fuzzy red slippers. Picking up a small package, covered in green wrapping paper and silver ribbon, she left the room silently. Hermione walked down the stairs and into the dining room and saw Professor Snape sitting at the table, drinking tea and reading the Daily Prophet. "Good morning, Professor Snape," she said softly.

"Miss Granger," Snape replied noncommittally, glancing up briefly from the paper.

"Happy Christmas," she said hesitantly.

Snape merely grunted in reply but he looked up at her with mild surprise when she suddenly set the package on the table and pushed it toward him. "What is this?" he said suspiciously, eyeing the gift.

Hermione raised a slightly amused eyebrow. "I would think that would be obvious," she replied smirking. "Just open it," she said gently.

Snape swallowed and pulled the wrapping paper off of the box. "_She used Slytherin colors_," he thought. "_Interesting_. _What on earth could this be?" _Snape lifted the lid on the box to reveal what appeared to be six vials with wide silver rims. He looked up at the young Gryffindor in confusion.

"I thought these would be useful to you when you're making potions in your lab," Hermione said softly. "They're unbreakable and there's a charm on them to prevent the contents from being spilled accidentally. The silver rim is to help distinguish them from your other vials. The name of whatever potion each vial contains appears in silver writing on the front."

Snape lifted the vials out of the box and inspected them carefully. Tentatively, he dropped one on the table to make sure that it wouldn't break. Hermione smiled slightly as he scrutinized the gift. Upon closer inspection, Snape realized that "Severus Snape" was engraved in elegant letters on the silver rim of each vial. He gazed up at Hermione for a moment before reaching into a pocket inside his black robes. He pulled out a small package that was wrapped in dark red paper that reminded her of her dress robes.

Carefully unwrapping the package, Hermione tried to hide her shock that Professor Snape had a gift for her. She lifted the lid and gasped in surprised. Inside was a delicate gold necklace with a small round pendant. She looked closely at the pendant and saw that it had the Gryffindor lion etched onto it. She turned the pendant over and saw that it said "Hermione Granger-Potions Apprentice" in tiny letters on the back.

Hermione looked up at Snape to see that he appeared to be attempting to seem completely uninterested in her reaction. She offered him a small smile. "Thank you Professor Snape," she said. She walked over and sat down next to him. "Would you please put it on me?" she asked quietly.

Snape took the necklace from her and waited while she turned her back to him and moved her hair out of the way. The potions master carefully fastened the necklace around her neck and wondered briefly what she would do if he caressed her. Hermione turned back to face him with a smile. "It's beautiful," she said blushing slightly.

"Ah," came the voice of Dumbledore from the doorway. "Happy Christmas everyone." He looked around. "I see that the Weasley's are not early risers," he said chuckling. "What have we here?" Albus had spotted the box of vials sitting on the table. He walked over and picked one up, looking at it closely.

"I gave them to Professor Snape," Hermione said, furious at herself for choosing such a ridiculous time to blush. Dumbledore looked up at her with his eyes twinkling merrily.

"And what did he get you?" Dumbledore asked enjoying the way Severus was shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Hermione glanced nervously at Snape before she lifted the necklace from her chest. Dumbledore carefully inspected the pendant on both sides. "Severus has always had excellent taste," he said smiling. Snape glared at the headmaster in irritation. "_Must he comment on everything?_" Snape thought angrily. "_It's not as if I asked what he thought about it_."

"I think I'll go and see if Ginny is up yet," Hermione said standing up. "I'll see you a little bit later." She glanced between Professor Snape and the headmaster and hurried out of the room.

"A necklace, Severus?" Albus asked, not even attempting to hide his amusement.

"It's a keepsake," Severus replied stiffly.

"Of course," Albus said with a bright smile. "How very... practical." Snape growled at him and resumed reading the Daily Prophet.


	21. Ginny's Plan

"Honestly Severus, a necklace?" Minerva McGonagall said with wide eyes. She was perched on the edge of her seat wrapped in forest green robes, watching Snape intently. Minerva had entered the dining room and Dumbledore had promptly told her about the gift exchange between Severus and Hermione. "That's a bit out of character for you. Of course, then again, you having romantic interest in someone is out of character as well." She smirked slightly as Snape sneered at her.

"I have no romantic interest in that little Gryffindor brat," Snape spat at her angrily.

"Don't be silly Severus," McGonagall said, waving her hand dismissively. "We're not stupid. You gave the girl a gold necklace. With the Gryffindor lion on it, no less. That certainly wasn't a particularly "Slytherin" choice of gift." She grinned at him mischievously as Albus nodded in agreement.

"I...", Severus began, unsure of how to respond. His whole body was rigid as he sat in his chair under the intense scrutiny of Albus and Minerva. "She is a Gryffindor," he said sourly. "The image of a serpent would have been pointless. It was engraved as a sort of keepsake of her time as an apprentice. I thought it was... appropriate." He glared at his colleagues, as if daring them to suggest that he was, in any way, sentimental rather than logical.

"Indeed," Dumbledore said with a benign smile.

"Yes, but I don't see why you wouldn't expect us to be astounded that you got her a gift at all," Minerva said setting her hands primly in her lap and regarding Snape thoughtfully.

"Perhaps Severus thought it was simply the proper thing to do since he's spent so much time working with Miss Granger," Albus offered quickly, hoping to close the subject. He knew that Severus would withdraw further if the issue was pressed. McGonagall glanced at Albus, and then shrugged, letting the matter rest for the time being.

Upstairs, Hermione entered her room to see Ginny sitting on her bed opening packages from the pile of gifts on her bed. Ginny looked up and smiled. "How did it go?" Ginny asked.

"How did what go?" Hermione asked, hoping to sound casual.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about," Ginny retorted. "You weren't here when I woke up and that mysterious green and silver package was missing. I assume that it was for Snape," she said looking at Hermione for confirmation. Hermione blushed causing Ginny to squeal in delight. "I was right! So, tell me what happened."

Hermione sighed and described the vials that she had given Snape. She then held up the gold necklace for Ginny to inspect. Ginny's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Oh wow," the redhead said softly. "I didn't see that coming. That's so unlike Snape."

"Yes, it is," Hermione said looking down at the necklace. "I was so surprised. He even helped me put it on when I asked him too."

"Very interesting," Ginny said with a cheeky grin. "We'll have to keep an eye on him. In the mean time, the boys wanted to meet us in here once they woke up. We don't want to discuss Snape in front of them."

Before Hermione could respond, the bedroom door flew open and Harry walked in. "Harry," Hermione chided with a raised brow. "You should knock. We could have been undressed."

"And that would have been a bad thing?" Harry said mischievously. He ducked as Ginny threw a pillow at him. "Ok, I'll knock next time," he said with a grin before he sat down on the floor next to Ginny's bed. A moment later, Ron and the twins also entered the girls' bedroom. "Watch out," Harry said to them with a smile. "The girls might be undressing." Ginny rolled her eyes.

The group spent an hour opening gifts and talking. The twins chuckled when they saw that Hermione had given them magical notebooks that would keep track of inventory for their shop and keep track of the finances. "Blimey Hermione," Fred said smirking. "Just because you're neurotic, doesn't mean you have to force the rest of us to be."

Hermione rolled her eyes and then looked up sharply realizing what he had said. "You think I'm neurotic?" she asked in a slightly wounded voice.

"Well, yeah," Fred said with a smile. "Don't take offense to it Hermione. We've gotten used to you being a nutter. We love you anyway."

Hermione smiled slightly and went back to flipping through a book on charms that Harry had given her. Ron was watching her with apparent interest, not realizing that Ginny was observing his focus on Hermione. "_I hope he's not going to cause a problem with Snape_," Ginny thought anxiously. "_The twit is so ridiculously jealous_." She frowned as she noticed Ron's eyes dart to Hermione's full breasts and then to her jean clad legs. Ginny rolled her eyes and then turned slightly to look at the other boys in the room. Harry was absorbed in flipping through a book full of moving pictures of different Quidditch teams. He may have noticed Hermione's well formed body, but he didn't seem to be much of a threat. "_It's a good thing_," Ginny thought. "_Ron will be obsessive enough for both of them_." She wasn't concerned about the twins. They weren't around very often and they were too focused on their joke shop.

Eventually, the group headed downstairs to see everyone else. "Happy Christmas!" said the cheerful voice of Remus Lupin. He was on a couch in the sitting room next to Professor Snape who looked rather irritated. Tonks was sitting in a chair nearby watching Snape nervously. The man clearly made her very nervous.

Mad-Eye Moody had arrived and was sitting near Tonks. His magical eye was whirling around in his head. The sight made Hermione slightly queasy, so she tried to avoid looking directly at him.

"What are you all doing here?" Ron asked sitting gracelessly in a chair nearby.

"Order meeting," Tonks replied, grinning.

"Right," Ron said in acknowledgment. "Wish we could sit in on those," he said wistfully. "Nobody ever tells us what's going on. You'd think they'd keep Harry informed since he's the one that has to get rid of You-Know-Who."

Snape rolled his eyes impatiently. "The headmaster isn't required to keep Potter informed on everything," he said silkily. "Potter will be told what he needs to know and nothing more. It's much safer without a bunch of dunderhead teenagers running about with valuable information."

Ron and Harry were looking put out and highly offended. Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and shrugged. It made sense to not give them information that they didn't need to know at the moment. The girls were very impatient, but there was really no point in getting angry. They'd find out what was going on before too long. They were accustomed to the secrecy of the Order meetings. Ron and Harry, however, seemed to never cease to be surprised when the members of the Order refused to reveal details of the meetings and they never failed to act outraged by that fact.

The group in the sitting room chatted for a while, except for Snape who was sneaking glances at Hermione when he thought nobody was looking. Ginny noticed, however, and was watching the potions master in amusement. Moody had also seen Snape's looks in Hermione's direction. His magical eye shifted between the two wondering what to think. He noticed Ginny struggling not to smile and observed her also looking between Hermione and the professor. Moody decided that this situation was worth keeping an eye on. If nothing else, it would be highly entertaining. His curiosity peaked when Hermione glanced up briefly, making eye contact with Snape before she blushed slightly and looked away quickly, fiddling with the gold necklace she was wearing.

Soon, Albus and Minerva entered the room bringing the conversations to an abrupt end. "It's time," Albus said simply waiting for the Order members to rise and follow him out of the room.

Hermione looked on longingly as they left the room. She desperately wanted to know what information would be shared in the meeting and she hated not knowing what was going on. To take her mind off of her curiosity, she retrieved one of her text books from upstairs and brought it back to the sitting room.

"What are you doing now?" Ron asked her.

"I thought I'd study," Hermione answered not looking up from the page she was reading. "I want to be prepared for NEWTS."

Ron looked startled for a moment and then hastily stood and moved toward the door. He appeared to be afraid that Hermione would force him to study too. "Harry, do you want to play Wizards Chess?" he said quickly.

Harry grinned and nodded. The twins smirked and followed them out of the room. Ginny watched them leave and looked over at Hermione. A mischievous grin spread across Ginny's face as an idea entered her mind. She'd have to be sneaky, but with a little research she could pull it off. Ginny slipped out of the room quietly, not wanting to disturb Hermione.

Ginny found the twins upstairs playing exploding snap. She had worked out a plan, but she would have to use a bit of manipulation. She observed the twins for a moment before she said "Have you two noticed the way Ron's been looking at Hermione lately?"

Fred and George snickered. "Yeah," Fred said with a grin. "It's a bit pathetic."

"If he doesn't stop drooling over her so much, we'll all drown," George added, laughing.

"Well, maybe we could play a little trick," Ginny suggested throwing a quick look over her shoulder. She began talking in low tones to the twins who were smirking evilly. The twins silently pulled a box out from under a bed and opened it to reveal an abundance of small green plants. "What on earth are you doing with all that mistletoe?" Ginny asked in surprise. "I thought we'd transfigure some."

"Well, we were going to make use of it," Fred said cryptically. "I guess this is as good a time as any to bring it out. I wonder just how red Ron's face will get." They laughed and left the room carrying the box of mistletoe.

Hermione was so absorbed in her study that she never noticed Ginny and the twins charming mistletoe to float into the room and attach itself to the ceiling. Soon, the ceiling looked almost completely green. The twins walked back upstairs laughing while Ginny went to wait for the Order meeting to end.

Once the meeting was over, the Orders member began to walking out into the hallway. Ginny spotted Professor McGonagall and hurried over to speak with her. She kept an eye on the doorway leading to the sitting room, making sure that nobody went in. "Professor McGonagall, I was curious about that little charm that Fred put on the mistletoe," Ginny said to Minerva, who was eying her suspiciously. Minerva saw Ginny's eyes widen slightly when Severus stalked the sitting room. She answered Ginny's questions and then watched as the young red head hurried toward the sitting room.

Ginny waited near the entrance until she was sure that no one was watching. McGonagall seemed suspicious, but she too eventually left the area. Ginny pulled out her wand and muttered an incantation before slamming the door shut. She whispered another spell while pointing her wand at the door knob.

Inside the sitting room, Hermione jumped and looked at the door that had suddenly slammed shut. Professor Snape appeared startled but quickly schooled his expression to look unfazed. He turned to Hermione and raised an eyebrow. "What was that all about?" Hermione asked him in surprise.

"I haven't the slightest idea, Miss Granger," Snape admitted glancing back at the door. "Someone must have bumped into the door." He watched as Hermione went to the door and attempted to open it.

"Damn door," Hermione muttered to herself, taking out her wand. She said "Alohamora," and waved her wand at the door before trying to pull it open again. The door still refused to budge.

"What the bloody hell is going on here?" Snape growled in irritation. He looked around the room and then up at the ceiling. He looked back down and pinched the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh.

Hermione was puzzled at Snape's look of dismay. "What..." she began as she turned her gaze upward. Her jaw dropped at the sight of mistletoe everywhere.

Severus Snape looked over at Hermione anxiously. How on earth had this happened? Who on earth had set this up. Hermione returned his gaze, blushing slightly. "Talk about overkill," she said with a nervous laugh. To her surprise, Snape's lips twitched slightly as he fought down a smile.

Hermione went over to the couch and sat down heavily. She looked up and her frustrated expression turned into one of sympathy when she saw how uncomfortable Snape looked. The poor man just couldn't get a break. "So, what do you think we're expected to do?" she asked him gently.

Snape looked at her in surprise for a moment before he sneered "I think that would be obvious," he hissed.

Hermione blushed. "Well, yes, that part is," she mumbled in embarrassment. "I meant that because there is so much mistletoe and the way the door remains locked, a simple kiss on the cheek may not be enough to free us."

Snape growled in fury. He didn't like being manipulated this way. Whoever did this would pay dearly. Regardless of how pleasant kissing Hermione had shown itself to be, he didn't want to forced into it. He sat down next to her, silently fuming and plotting revenge.

Hermione willed herself to stay calm as Snape turned his body to face her. His face held no readable expression, but his eyes glittered slightly. She felt her breathing hitch a little as the professor leaned in closer to her, brushing his lips against hers. She thought he'd pull away, but he moved closer and pressed his lips more firmly against hers.

Severus could feel his heart hammering against his chest. He was amazed that she didn't seem repulsed by the fact that he was kissing her. In fact, she appeared to be enjoying it immensely. Tentatively, he ran his tongue across her bottom lip, to which she responded by opening her mouth slightly. As he explored her mouth, he brought one of his hands up to her mass of curly hair. He was pleased when she shivered as he ran his fingers through her hair. He had his other hand at her waist and pulled her closer to him.

In the hall, Minerva was standing just outside the door to the sitting room. She had heard the door slam and had hurried over, but there was no one else around. She assumed that it was Ginny's doing since the girl was behaving so strangely. Minerva's thoughts were interrupted by the stumping sound that announced the approach of Mad-Eye Moody.

"What's all the raucous about Professor McGonagall?" Moody said in a low growl.

"Oh, I think Ginny Weasley is playing a little prank," McGonagall replied looking over at him. "But, I'm not sure what it is." She looked back at the door thoughtfully as she went over in her mind all the questions that Ginny had asked about the sticking charms.

Moody looked over at the door. His magical eye fixed on it and then he chuckled. "Well, I can tell you who the victims are," he said in a low voice filled with amusement. "It's Snape and Granger in there."

"Oh no," Minerva groaned, dreading the temper Severus would be in when he came out. "What's Miss Weasley done to them?"

"Oh, I don't think they'll be complaining any," Moody said with another chuckle. At Minerva's look of confusion, he continued. "The ceiling in there is covered with mistletoe and they're looking quite cozy in there."

Minerva burst into a fit of laughter. Albus walked over to them and eyed Minerva as she tried to control her laughter. "What's going on?" Albus asked curiously. Moody explained the situation while Minerva clutched her sides and chuckled merrily.

"My goodness," Albus said with a smile. "Well, let's wait and see what happens shall we."

Inside the room, Hermione had wrapped her arms around Snape's neck and he was holding her close to his chest. Somewhat reluctantly, Snape pulled away from her. His breathing was ragged and he was fighting the urge to hold her close to him again. Suddenly, there was a small pop and all of the mistletoe fell to the floor. Hermione and Severus found themselves surrounded and covered in the small green plants.

Hermione felt a little shaky as she stood up. She knew that her feet her still firmly planted on the earth, but she couldn't help but feel that her heart had been swept away. She took a deep breath to calm her herself.

Wanting to avoid any awkward silences, Snape muttered a spell that made all of the mistletoe disappear. They went to the door and it opened without hesitation. They stepped into the hall and found themselves face to face with Minerva, Albus and Mad-Eye Moody. Hermione looked over at Moody and blushed when she remembered that he could easily see through doors. "_Oh no, he saw what happened_," she thought, feeling slightly panicked.

Snape apparently had not thought about it. He was a little shell shocked and so it never occurred to him that Moody could see him kissing Hermione. Moody however, couldn't resist reminding him of that fact. "I was going to wish you a happy Christmas," Moody began in a low growl, "But I can see you're already having one."

Hermione looked horrified and Snape suddenly realized what Moody was hinting at. Snape's face turned white with fury and he glared at the ex-Auror. Minerva snorted with laughter and Albus looked away hiding his smile behind his hand. Hermione mumbled something about heading to bed and quickly scurried up the stairs.

"Goodnight, Alaster," Albus said before Snape could say anything. "Severus, come have some tea with us before we go back to Hogwarts." Snape shot one last venomous glare in Moody's direction before stalking into the dining room.


	22. A Close Call

Hermione entered the bedroom that she was sharing with Ginny and was promptly cornered by the red headed girl. "What happened?" Ginny asked breathlessly, her eyes bright with excitement.

Hermione looked stunned for a moment before giving Ginny a stern look. "What did you do?" Hermione demanded in irritation.

Ginny shifted her gaze to the floor. Her expression was sheepish when she met Hermione's eyes. "I just thought I'd help out a bit," Ginny murmured. "I talked Fred and George into helping me." Hermione's face paled, so she quickly added, "I led the twins to believe that we were going to get Ron to kiss you. We levitated the mistletoe and made it stick to the ceiling. They went back upstairs and I was supposed to lure Ron into the room. However, I asked McGonagall about those sticking charms. I cast the charm on all the mistletoe and then sealed the door until the two of you... you know." Ginny smiled slightly while Hermione blushed. "So, I know I shouldn't have 'helped', but please share the details."

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ginny's pleading, but decided that she might as well tell her friend what happened. "Well, Snape was really angry at first," Hermione said with a sigh. "Then, he looked as if he had no idea what to do. He sat down next to me and kissed me. I thought he'd pull away, but he moved closer and deepened it instead. It was so sweet and yet, passionate that I wasn't sure I'd be able to walk straight afterwards. I was so shaky." Hermione laughed nervously and Ginny was looking thrilled.

"This is bloody fantastic!" Ginny squealed lying down on her back and kicking her feet in the air childishly.

Hermione wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Ginny, you're starting to sound and act like Ron."

Ginny pulled a face of mock horror. "Well, we certainly don't want that," she said smirking. "The stupid git. He's going to make a right prat of himself if he finds out that you and Snape were snogging downstairs. Not that you had much choice. That charm wouldn't have released you if you had just done a quick little kiss."

"Yes, I figured that out," Hermione said glaring at the red head. "Don't you think that was a little too much?"

"Well, I didn't want to take any chances," Ginny replied slyly. "He wasn't going to get away with just a little peck. And he didn't. You're not going to tell me that you didn't enjoy that luscious lip lock with him, are you?" Ginny raised an eyebrow at the older girl. She nodded her head in satisfaction when Hermione blushed and didn't comment. "I didn't think so," Ginny said smugly.

In the dining room, Severus Snape was sitting at the table drinking tea and pointedly ignoring the curious looks being cast in his direction by Albus and Minerva. He was furious with himself for allowing himself to kiss Hermione. He was in no mood to chat with Albus and Minerva and had no intention of initiating a conversation. If they insisted upon gawking at him, he would ignore them.

It was Albus who finally broke the silence. "Severus my boy, you seem agitated," he said kindly.

Severus glanced up at the headmaster with a look of disdain. "I was locked in a room full of mistletoe with Miss Granger," he said coldly. "I don't know why you would expect me to be anything but agitated."

Minerva let out an unladylike snort and said "Moody was under the impression that you were quite enjoying yourself under the mistletoe. You're just too stubborn to admit it. That's what I think."

"Well, look what you've got to think with," Snape growled. His frown deepened when Albus chuckled in amusement.

"My goodness," Albus said cheerfully. "That is funny. 'Look what you've got to think with.' I shall have to remember that one." Minerva shot a stern gaze at Albus, causing his delighted expression to fade abruptly. Albus folded his hands in his lap and cleared his throat. He turned to Severus and said "Severus, I wanted to speak with you because I'm concerned about what Voldemort may be planning. Miss Granger may be in serious danger."

"Albus, I am well aware of that," Severus drawled settling back in his chair tiredly. "I assure you that I will be listening for clues as to what they want to do with her. Obviously, they'd want to use her to get to Mr. Potter, but we must find out how before we can take measures to protect her." Severus frowned thoughtfully, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "I will tell you that young Mr. Malfoy is sharing information with his father. The fact that she is my apprentice did come up at the last meeting, but I doubt they'd use that to get their hands on her."

Dumbledore sighed heavily. "I know you'll keep me posted," he said to the potions master. "For now, I need you to stay on agreeable terms with Miss Granger. We don't know what Voldemort is plotting, and I think it is best that we are certain that she trusts you completely. I want you to keep an eye on her Severus." Albus smiled, suddenly looking mischievous once more.

"Albus, I will not be a victim of your ridiculous match-making schemes," Severus said angrily.

Albus and Minerva exchanged smiles and rose from their chairs to leave for the night. "Severus, I wouldn't dream of playing match-maker with you and Miss Granger," Albus said with a grin. "Minerva won't let me. Not to mention the fact that you're doing splendidly on your own." Before Severus could reply, Minerva and Albus quickly left the room to go back to Hogwarts.

Severus sighed and stood up to go to his room. "_Why_ _must I constantly be surrounded by people that are determined to drive me mad_?" he thought irritably as he climbed the stairs. He avoided looking at the door to the room that he knew Hermione was in. He slipped into his bedroom silently and took a dreamless sleep potion before climbing into bed. He didn't want to have any dreams about a certain young Gryffindor.

The next morning, Hermione and Ginny got dressed went downstairs for breakfast. Surprisingly, Harry and Ron were already in the dining room. The boys looked up from their plates and smiled as the girls entered. "My goodness," Hermione said with a smile. "I thought you two would still be unconscious at this time of morning." She sat down next to Ron and Ginny took the seat next to her.

A few moments later, Professor Snape entered the room followed by Remus Lupin. Remus smiled in greeting while Snape acted as if there was no one else in the room. Hermione and Ginny exchanged a quick glances and then went back to their breakfasts. To Ginny's horror, the twins walked in next wearing amused smirks. They didn't even notice Professor Snape and Remus sitting there.

"Have fun last night Ron?" Fred asked, raising his eyebrows.

Ron looked up and swallowed the food in his mouth. "What?" he said, perplexed.

"Did you have fun last night?" Fred repeated a little more slowly. He looked at George. "Apparently snogging has a poor effect on your brain." Severus Snape looked up quickly at that comment and Hermione nearly choked on her pumpkin juice.

"Snogging?" Ron asked in utter confusion, his face turned slightly red. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

Fred and George looked at each other for a moment. "Ron, the mistletoe in the sitting room," George said impatiently. "Weren't you in there with Hermione?" At Ron's surprised look, George turned his gaze to his sister. "What happened Gin?" he asked. "You were supposed to get him to go in there."

By this time, Remus was watching with interest. He knew about what happened in the sitting room because he had encountered Moody as he was leaving. Snape was shifting uncomfortably in his seat and listening to the conversation while trying to seem completely uninterested.

Ginny swallowed her food and then said "I tried to find Ron. I couldn't find him right away and then the meeting ended, so I gave up."

"But, the mistletoe is gone," Fred said. "Someone went in there. Who was it Hermione?"

Hermione groaned inwardly when Ron turned quickly to look at her. Remus thought quickly and spoke up for her. "I was the one who went into the room with Hermione," he said, seeing Snape throw a surprised look in his direction. "Miss Granger and I talked for a few moments and when we attempted to leave, we noticed all the mistletoe. So, I gave her a little kiss."

Ginny, Hermione and Snape looked relieved. Harry noted their expressions and wondered if Remus was telling the truth. Ron appeared to be unsure of how he felt about the situation. He felt jealous and a little angry that Remus had kissed Hermione. He was relieved that it only Remus and embarrassed that the prank had been for him in the first place. The twins looked a bit frustrated. "Just a little kiss?" Fred asked, sounding disappointed. "That's strange. All that mistletoe was supposed to have a stronger effect then that to encourage snogging." He shook his head sadly.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Remus said with a chuckle. Harry rolled his eyes and then looked over to observe the girls and Snape. Ginny was avoiding eye contact with anyone. Hermione and Snape's eyes met for a moment before they went back to eating. Harry looked on curiously. "_I'm sure there's nothing going_ _on_," he thought uncertainly. "_Snape probably just walked in on it and said something nasty to her_."

"_Now that was a close call_," Hermione thought in relief.

The next few days went by quickly and Hermione soon found herself back at Hogwarts. She hadn't seen much of Professor Snape. He'd nod curtly in her direction at meals and then hide himself away in his room. Hermione suspected that Snape feared another prank from Ginny. He had, however, taken the time to cast a sticking charm on Fred and George when no one, except for Hermione, was watching. He had rushed away before anyone else could spot him throwing a satisfied smirk in Hermione's direction. The twins had no idea what had happened and found themselves stuck together for the rest of the day. That afternoon at dinner, Hermione cast a little smile over at a very smug looking Professor Snape, who smirked in response. Hermione smiled slightly at the memory.

"Hermione?" Ginny said waving a hand in her face. "Are you there?"

Hermione blinked once and looked at Ginny. "Sorry," she said with a smile. "I zoned out for a moment there."

"Obviously," Ginny said laughing. "Dumbledore was making some announcements and you were daydreaming." She leaned forward in excitement. "Dumbledore just announced that there's going to be a ball on Valentine's Day for every in fifth year and above. There's not really a reason for it. He said he just thought it'd be fun."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That man," she muttered shaking her head with a smile. "Well, that should be a lot of fun. Kind of a strange to do in the middle of second term."

"Maybe this will be a good opportunity," Ginny said quietly with a mischievous smile. "You could go with Snape."

Hermione laughed nervously, looking to see that the boys weren't listening. "I don't think he would, Ginny," she said quietly.

"I don't know," Ginny said with a grin. "I wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to make certain that you two were there together. Wouldn't that be great? And we already know that Snape just loves your dress robes." Hermione blushed causing Ginny to giggle. Harry looked at the girls in curiosity then turned his gaze to Ron. Ron merely shrugged and started eating.


	23. An Unknown Curse

Severus sat in the headmasters office with his arms folded in irritation over his chest. Albus was contentedly sucking on a lemon drop. As always, Severus had declined the sour candy when Albus offered it.

There was quiet knock on the door and Albus called out "Come in." The door slid open and Hermione Granger stepped into the room hesitantly. "Ah, come have a seat my dear," he said with a smile, gesturing to a comfy looking chair next to her potions professor. He smiled slightly as Hermione looked nervously at Professor Snape and went to sit in the chair. The headmaster smiled reassuringly at her.

"You wanted to speak with me headmaster?" Hermione said softly, avoiding the gaze of the scowling man seated next to her.

"Yes," Dumbledore said sitting back in his seat and looking at her over his half-moon spectacles. "I've been informed that things have been going well with your apprenticeship to Professor Snape thus far." Hermione flushed with pleasure and smiled slightly at the thought of Snape complimenting her work. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily when he noticed her blushing. He continued with a kind smile. "We are here to discuss whether or not you wish to continue. After this term, you have the option of staying on as Professor Snape's apprentice and commuting to a university by floo for career training. This is entirely up to you of course. Training with Professor Snape could very well guide you in becoming a master of potions if that is what you wish."

Hermione looked slightly surprised. She opened her mouth to say something and quickly shut it again. Snape watched her curiously, wondering what she would decide to do. "_I don't really care what she wants to do_," he thought to himself. "_I merely want to know how long I must endure the little know-it-all brat_." He sneered at how unconvincing he sounded even in his own head. Albus interrupted his thoughts by speaking up once again.

"Miss Granger, I do not want you to make a decision based on anything other than what you want to do," Professor Dumbledore said kindly. "Do not stay simply because you think it's what we would want. Don't leave because you don't want to inconvenience a certain Potions Master." He sent a little smile in Snape's direction. He leaned forward with a mischievous smile. "I think he enjoys working with you more than he lets on," he said in a loud whisper. Snape growled furiously, but Albus ignored him. "Do you need time to make your decision my dear?" he said returning to a normal volume.

Hermione thought for a moment. She turned her gaze to Snape who was looking her with an unreadable expression on his face. She looked back at Dumbledore and said "I want to continue being an apprentice." She grinned as Dumbledore's smile widened.

"I thought you would," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Well, Professor Snape will be documenting your progress and all of the work you do with him. He will assist you in organizing an acceptable schedule so as not to interfere with other classes." He looked between Professor Snape and Hermione to be sure they understood. "Now, Miss Granger, you may go on to your room for the night. I need to speak with Professor Snape."

Hermione nodded and moved to leave, muttering a quiet good night as she reached the door. When the door closed behind her, Albus turned his gaze back to Professor Snape. "So, she chose to continue working with you," Albus said, looking gleeful. "It's just wonderful."

Snape cast a warning look at the headmaster. "I will not be a victim to your matchmaking Albus," he growled.

"And why on earth not?" Albus said in amusement, earning another scowl from Severus. "Come now Severus. She's simply delightful and you get along splendidly. Why are you being difficult?"

"First of all, I will not be forced into anything," Snape replied with a sneer. "She's my apprentice Albus. What you are hinting at is inappropriate, and unrealistic for that matter. You told her to choose based solely and what she wants to do and she did. And I, quite frankly, couldn't care less what the little brat does," he added with a scowl.

Dumbledore shook his head. "You're not fooling anybody my boy," he said with a small smile. "Remus was asking a lot of questions about the two of you after he put two and two together and figured out about Miss Weasley's little scheme. Moody was asking questions even before he saw that little scene through the door. I'm slightly surprised that Minerva doesn't go into a fit of laughter whenever your name is mentioned." Albus chuckled at the thought. He fixed his gaze on the potions professor. "I don't think she would choose to stay only for the educational value. Of course, that is very important to her, but I don't think it would be her only motivation. Perhaps she enjoys working with you. Perhaps she wants to remain close to you," he suggested with a shrug as if he had this sort of conversation every day.

"What do I have to give that she would find worthwhile?" Snape said bitterly. He sneered at the look of sadness that crossed the headmaster's face.

"Severus, you are too hard on yourself," Albus replied mournfully.

Hermione walked down the hallway toward her room thinking about her decision to continue with her apprenticeship. It was a wonderful opportunity and she was quite pleased with herself. She couldn't help but hope that perhaps Snape had secretly wanted her to stay, even if the stubborn man would never admit it. She sighed in exasperation. "I shouldn't even be thinking about him," she thought irritably. "He's my professor."

Hermione heard a noise in the hallway behind her, causing her to pause in her line of thought and look around. Seeing nobody in the hallway, she went to continue on her way, feeling a bit uneasy. She searched her pockets for her wand when she heard a muttered spell. Her hand had just closed around her wand when the spell threw her in the wall. Hermione saw a figure coming toward her and then she lost consciousness.

Hermione's head was pounding when she woke up. For several minutes, she didn't bother opening her eyes. She felt something cool resting on her face, so she reached up with a shaky hand to find a cold wash cloth draped across her eyes. She flinched when she felt a hand reach over and remove the cloth. As the fabric was lifted away from her skin, her eyes flew open.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed with a moan as the lighting in the room caused searing pain in her head. She opened her eyes more slowly and waited for her vision to focus on her surroundings. She was in a large bed that looked oddly familiar. The silk sheets were a dark, rich green color. "_Green sheets?_" Hermione thought in confusion before turning her gaze to the person that had removed the cloth.

"Professor Snape?" Hermione said in a hoarse voice. She was relieved when he lifted her head with one hand and helped her take a few sips from a glass of water he had set out for her. "What happened?" she asked, glad that her voice sounded less hoarse.

"On your way to your room, you encountered young Mr. Malfoy," Snape said smoothly, sitting back in the chair he had placed by the bed and folding his arms. "He hit you with a curse, but we are unsure what it was. You were thrown into the wall and knocked out. I came along just moments later and stopped him from doing any further damage to you. Unfortunately, we can't do anything to him because I was the only one who saw it. My loyalties would be questioned if I reprimanded him or reported him to the headmaster."

"I see," Hermione said softly. "So, what did you tell him? And why am I here?" She glanced about the room nervously, having realized that it was Snape's bedroom.

"I told Mr. Malfoy that the headmaster had sent me to retrieve you," Severus replied silkily. "I also told him that I would tell the headmaster that I had simply found you unconscious in the hall. I reprimanded Mr. Malfoy for, once again, using a curse in an open area where he could be seen. I spoke with Professor Dumbledore and he felt that it would be unwise to have you in the hospital wing. He feared that Mr. Malfoy would attempt to do further damage by seeking you out during the night." Snape sneered at her. "So, here you are in my private chambers. You've been unconscious for about eight hours."

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "Harry and Ron will never let me out of their sight after this one," she said ruefully.

"You are probably right my dear," said a voice from the doorway. Dumbledore had entered the bedroom with Minerva McGonagall at his side. "It's so nice to see you awake, Miss Granger," Albus said kindly. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel alright, I suppose," Hermione said with a small smile. She slowly pushed herself into a more upright position wincing as pain shot through her body. Minerva smiled widely when Snape moved to prop some pillows up behind her to help hold her up.

Dumbledore reached over and patted Hermione's hand. "You'll be back to normal in no time at all," he assured her. "However, from now on, I think it would be best that you try to avoid going anywhere alone. I'm sure Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley will keep an eye on you. Professor Snape will also be escorting you. He will accompany you to your bedroom door after the two of you finish your work together. If Mr. Malfoy questions this arrangement, we'll simply say that it was by my request in order to avoid another attack."

"Is there nothing more we can do Albus?" Minerva asked, looking over at Hermione anxiously.

Professor Dumbledore sighed heavily and shook his head. "Not at this time, I'm afraid," he said.

"Is there something wrong with me?" Hermione asked, feeling panicked. "What did he do to me?"

"We are unsure of what curse was used Miss Granger," Snape said calmly. "We've looked you over and you seem to be unharmed aside from feeling very tired and weak. A lot of the pain you feel is from being thrown into the wall with such force." Minerva and Albus nodded their agreement with his assessment.

Hermione relaxed slightly and tried to smile. "So, when can I go?" she asked.

Professor Snape opened his mouth to answer but he was cut off by Albus. "You will have to stay here over night," Albus said, his lips twitching in amusement. "Professor Snape will need to keep an eye on you to make sure there will be no delayed effects from the curse." Snape growled in irritation at the headmaster, causing Minerva to snort with laughter. Dumbledore smiled brightly. "We'll leave you in his care. Goodnight." He led a chuckling Minerva from the room.

Hermione looked over at her professor nervously. He looked furious. "Interfering old man," he muttered through clenched teeth. His eyes fell on Hermione and she thought his expression softened ever so slightly. "Is there anything you need?" he asked her stiffly.

"No," she replied quietly. "I'm fine, thank you."

Severus nodded and then helped her move to lie flat on the bed. Once she seemed comfortable, he transfigured the chair into a cot for himself. He went to the bathroom and changed into some silky black pants. When he returned to his room, he went to the cot and looked back over at Hermione. He was a bit pleased that she had been looking at him. When their eyes met, she blushed and muttered a quiet "good night" before turning her face away from him. Severus smirked to himself and lay down on the cot. He found it quite difficult to fall asleep that night. He mentally scolded himself when he suddenly thought that he'd probably have an easier time getting to sleep if he had Miss Granger in his arms.


	24. The Valentine's Day Ball

Severus Snape tentatively touched the face of the young Gryffindor currently lying in his bed. Hermione's face was flushed and she obviously had a fever. Snape quickly conjured a cold washcloth and pressed it against her face, hoping to lower her body temperature. He turned his head briefly to see Albus and Minerva enter the room. "How is she Severus?" Minerva asked curiously.

"Her condition worsened during the night," Severus replied with a scowl. "I woke up to check on her, only to find that she was running a fever and seemed to have trouble breathing. Whatever spell Mr. Malfoy used seemed to cause symptoms similar to a rather advanced case of pneumonia. Poppy came in an hour ago and confirmed that Miss Granger has fluid in her lungs."

"Oh dear," Albus said quietly. "Well, what shall we do now, Severus?"

"Well, obviously, I will be monitoring her and administering the necessary potions," Severus replied, sneering. "As long as there are no complications, she should be up and about by tomorrow morning. However, because her condition is so serious now, I will be unable to teach my classes today. I will be unable to leave her for more than a few moments."

"Say no more, dear boy," Albus said quickly. "I will inform everyone that your classes are cancelled for today. You just worry about getting our Head Girl back on her feet. Take good care of her," he added with a smile.

Severus rolled his eyes and refused to comment. Minerva and Albus exchanged grins and left the room. Severus uncorked a vial filled with an amber coloured liquid and moved closer to Hermione. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched as her eyes fluttered open. "Professor?" she said weakly.

"You need to drink this, Miss Granger," Severus said, trying his best not to look sympathetic to her current condition.

"What's wrong with me?" Hermione asked softly, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. Her breathing was laboured and she looked exhausted.

"It turns out that the curse that Mr. Malfoy used on you causes severe cases of pneumonia," the professor said, not looking her in the eye. "Your lungs have fluid in them and you are simply not getting enough oxygen. You are tired because your body is working so hard to keep you breathing." He fell silent as Hermione was overcome by a fit of rather violent coughing. When she had calmed once again, he said, "It would appear that the spell caused damage to your respiratory system. Therefore, you'll be staying here so I can watch over you and give you potions to repair the damage and get rid of the pneumonia."

Hermione nodded weakly. She allowed Snape to lift her head and pour the bitter liquid into her mouth. Hermione swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut at the pain in her chest. "Just give it a moment," Snape said quietly. "The potion will make you more comfortable. Just relax." He carefully lowered her head back to the pillow and began running his fingers through her hair to calm her. He smirked as the young Gryffindor relaxed, focusing only on the soothing manner that Snape was stroking her hair. After a few moments, Hermione opened her eyes and gave him a small grateful smile.

"Thanks," she said softly, feeling slightly disappointed when he pulled his hand away from her hair. "What happened with Malfoy?" she asked curiously.

Snape smirked at her question. "We decided to tell him that you recognised him as your attacker before you passed out," he said smoothly. "He has another month of detention and he is banned from that ridiculous ball that Headmaster Dumbledore is setting up."

Hermione smiled slightly. "I don't think it'll be that bad," she said gently.

Snape rolled his eyes. "It would not be so bad if the Headmaster was not so busy playing _Cupid_," he said. "It is as if he has nothing better to do with his time. I am surprised he has not found some way to get _me_ to escort _you_ to the ball." He flinched slightly when he realized what he had said. This was not a subject that he wished to examine. Hermione noted his discomfort and decided not to comment on his statement, much to his relief.

By the next morning, Hermione was feeling much better. Poppy came by Snape's room early that morning and checked Hermione over before declaring her well enough to go to class. Snape handed Hermione an opened vial containing a yellowish liquid. "Drink this," he said simply. Without hesitation, Hermione lifted the vial to her lips and swallowed the substance. "That should help you not to feel quite so tired," he said briskly. "Stay indoors today and if you start to feel poorly, sit down and have one of your friends find me. Your respiratory system is still healing and you do not want to over do it." With that said Snape turned on his heel and left the room to go to the Great Hall.

After showering and getting dressed, Hermione went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. When she sat down, Ron, Harry and Ginny greeted her enthusiastically. "Good morning," she said with a smile.

"Hermione we were so worried," Ginny said with a look of concern. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine Ginny," Hermione assured her. "I'm feeling much better."

"Glad to hear it," Harry said smiling.

Breakfast went smoothly while the group discussed the ball that was so quickly approaching. As everyone stood to leave the table, Ron cleared his throat and looked at Hermione nervously. "Could I talk to you?" he asked.

"Of course," Hermione replied, wondering why he looked so uncomfortable. They stopped in the hallway while the others walked ahead. "What's on your mind Ron?" she asked.

"Well," Ron began apprehensively. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I was wondering if maybe you'd go to the ball with me," he said quickly looking at the floor.

"Sure," Hermione said casually, causing Ron to look up in surprise.

"Oh," he said blushing. "Well, ok then. That was easy enough." Hermione just smiled and continued walking to her next class.

Later that afternoon, Hermione was cornered by Ginny in the hallway just outside her room. "Why on earth would you go to the ball with Ron?" Ginny asked incredulously. She looked completely bewildered.

Hermione appeared surprised by the question. "Well, why not?" she said. "He asked right after breakfast and I didn't see any reason why I shouldn't go with him."

"Are you mental?" Ginny asked in disbelief. "What about Snape?"

Hermione gasped and quickly ushered Ginny into her room. "Not so loud where people can hear you," Hermione admonished the younger girl.

Ginny folded her arms impatiently. "Just answer the question," she said.

Hermione sighed. "He's never going to ask me to attend the ball with him," Hermione said calmly. "I didn't want to go alone."

Ginny was thoughtful for a few moments. "Well, the problem is that Ron fancies you," Ginny said slowly. "You're going to have to let him know that you're just going as friends." A smirk crept onto Ginny's face. "Snape will be so jealous," she said grinning. "Maybe this is a good thing. Seeing you with another guy may just be what he needs to motivate him to make a move."

"You're as bad as Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said dryly.

Ginny smiled sweetly and sat down on Hermione's bed. After a moment, Ginny mused, "Do you think Snape will be good in bed?"

Hermione sputtered with surprised laughter. "Ginny!" she exclaimed. "How on earth did you come up with a question like that?"

"I'm just curious," Ginny replied, attempting to sound innocent. "Don't even deny that you've thought about it."

Hermione blushed but managed to say, "He's my teacher. It would be inappropriate for me to entertain the thought of having sex with him. Besides, that's not important."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at her. "Of course it's important. Sex is like air."

"Like air?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "How is sex like air?"

Ginny smirked evilly and replied, "They're only really important if you're not getting any." Hermione giggled and collapsed on the bed next to her friend. "We won't bother to discuss how I came to that conclusion," Ginny added, causing Hermione to laugh harder.

Valentine's Day arrived swiftly and Ginny went to Hermione's room so that they could get ready together. Ginny dressed in dark blue dress robes that clung to her lean frame. Her hair was pulled back into a neat bun and she had carefully applied a bit of make-up to her face. Hermione was nervously checking her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing her new wine coloured dress robes. They hugged her rounded hips and waist beautifully. An elegant v-neck accentuated her full breasts. Her hair was piled on top of her head in soft curls with several loose tendrils framing her face. "Do I look ok?" Hermione asked turning to look at Ginny.

Ginny squealed in delight. "You look amazing!" Ginny said with a big smile. "Dear Professor Snape is in for a pleasant surprise." Hermione smiled and the two girls left the room to meet the boys in the common room.

Severus sat at the head table watching the students enter the Great Hall. He was aware of the fact that Albus kept looking in his direction, but chose to ignore it. He rolled his eyes when he saw Potter come in with Parvati Patil. Behind the pair was Ginny Weasley with Neville Longbottom. Snape smirked. Now, _that_ was an unlikely couple. Quickly losing interest, his eyes strayed back to the door. His breath caught in his chest as Hermione walked into the room looking very much like an angel wrapped in red silk. His eyes narrowed when he saw that she was with Ron Weasley.

Albus moved to stand beside the potions master. "Miss Granger looks lovely," the Headmaster said slyly.

"Why would she come with that idiot?" Snape growled without thinking. He winced when Albus chuckled.

"Severus, Mr. Weasley is a close friend of hers," Albus said gently. "Perhaps the person she would rather be here with was too stubborn to ask her to accompany him." Albus smiled and his eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Don't start Albus," Severus said in a warning tone. "She's my student."

"Not for long," Albus said with a shrug. "And she's of age already, thanks to that time turner. I think she is good for you and my only request would be for you to be discreet so as not to cause discomfort amongst the students. You care about her more than you want to admit. Why don't you just stop fighting it and allow yourself this happiness?"

"She does not see me in such a way," Snape replied scathingly.

"Ah, but she does," Albus said with a smile. At Snape's look of shock, he said, "Miss Weasley has been… mentioning things to me."

Severus considered this information for a moment. "She does not know about the things that I have done," he said bitterly. "Would she still reach for me in spite of where I have been? Could she even bear to look at me if she knew what was in my past?" He glared at the sea of students dancing and talking in the Great Hall. This was the last place he wanted to be. The knowledge that Hermione was there with that dim-witted Weasley made him furious.

Hermione and Ron decided to take a break from dancing. They walked over to get some punch and rest a bit. Hermione took a sip from her glass and watched the other students with mild interest. She stiffened when she felt Ron snake his arm around her waist. She pulled away from him slightly and turned to face him. "Look Ron," Hermione said quietly. "I'm having a great time with you. However, I honestly can't see you as anything other than a friend. I've tried but I just can't." Ron looked surprised at her little speech. He gazed at her for a moment, his face flushed in embarrassment. He nodded and mumbled something she couldn't hear before walking away. Hermione watched him sadly, hoping that this wouldn't damage their friendship.

After a few moments, Hermione became aware of someone standing near her. She turned to find Professor Snape standing next to her. "Hello Professor," she said with a shy smile.

"Did Mr. Weasley leave you because he was afraid that your obsessive study habits would rub off on him?" Professor Snape asked with a smirk.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "No," she said laughing. "I'm afraid I gave him the wrong impression by coming to the ball with him. I told him that I only wanted to be friends and then he just walked away."

"I see," Snape said, feeling triumphant, although his expression remained neutral.

After five minutes of silence, Hermione took a deep breath and turned to face him. "Professor, would you like to dance?" Severus looked at her as if suspected she might be joking. Then, he offered her his arm and led her toward the dancing couples. A slow, mournful tune began playing as Severus pulled her close to his body, enjoying the feel of the silky robes under his hands. Hermione smiled up at his face, allowing him to hold her close. Severus fought to keep his breathing steady as he marvelled at the feeling of the young woman in his arms. He was tempted to kiss her, but there were just too many people around for that. Perhaps he would find an opportunity later.

Ginny smiled brightly as she watched Hermione and Professor Snape dance. It looked as if things were working out wonderfully. Her eyes scanned the crowd and her stomach clenched painfully when she realized that Harry and Ron had just noticed with whom Hermione was dancing. They did not look pleased at all.


	25. Perfect Timing

Ginny's mind raced as she tried to think of a way to draw Harry and Ron's attention away from Hermione and Professor Snape. She smiled briefly when she noticed how content the dancing couple looked at that moment. Ginny focused her attention back on the boys and rushed over to them. Trying to sound casual, she said, "Having a good time?"

Harry's gaze flickered to her face for a moment before he looked back at Hermione and Snape. "All right, I guess," he said dismissively. "What's with Hermione dancing with Snape?" Harry glanced at Ron who looked furious.

"She turns me down but she dances with that greasy git," Ron said through clenched teeth.

"Turned you down?" Ginny asked, looking a bit confused.

"Ron tried to put his arm around her, but she pulled away and said that she only wanted to be friends," Harry explained, looking over at Ron sympathetically.

Ginny winced at Harry's words. "Well, perhaps she could have been a little more tactful," Ginny said carefully, "but, you really can't blame her for only wanting to be friends. She didn't want to lead you on Ron. Hermione would never intentionally hurt you."

Ron scowled and remained silent. Harry cocked his head and sent a questioning gaze in Ginny's direction. She met his eyes calmly. Harry looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. He glanced over at Hermione and Snape as they danced, and then looked back at Ginny curiously. Ginny raised her eyebrows at him and crossed her arms over her chest. Finally, Harry said, "I'm going to go dance with Parvati. I'll talk to you later Ginny," he added giving her a meaningful look before walking away.

Ginny sighed. _"Ok, so Harry's putting two and two together,"_ she thought. _"He doesn't know anything, but he definitely suspects something." _Ginny looked over at Ron. He had been far too busy pouting to pay attention to the silent exchange between Harry and herself. _"He'll make a right prat of himself before the night is over, no doubt,"_ she thought rolling her eyes.

Hermione glanced up at the man that was holding her securely against his body. She smiled when she thought of how relaxed he looked. When the song ended, he pulled back, a bit reluctantly. "Care to take a walk Miss Granger?" Severus asked stiffly, as if he had forced himself to say it.

Hermione smiled up at him and said, "I would love to." She allowed him to lead her through the Great Hall and out the doors. The couple did not notice that Albus and Minerva were watching them leave. They exchanged mischievous grins and then turned their attention back to the students.

Without thinking, Severus led Hermione down to his private chambers. They had walked in a comfortable silence, but once they were standing in the sitting room, they both felt a bit apprehensive. Severus looked completely horrified that he had allowed himself to lead her down to his rooms. Hermione saw his expression change and decided to help him feel a little more at ease.

Hermione stepped toward her potions professor and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his shoulder. She felt his body stiffen, but she smiled when he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her.

They remained in that position for several moments until Hermione lifted her head to look at his face. Her heart raced when his eyes drifted down to her lips. She sighed slightly when he finally lowered his head to brush his lips against hers. Severus brought up one of his hands to cradle the back of her head and the other he used to caress her cheek. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip causing her to shiver. Hermione's parted slightly, inviting him to explore her mouth. Severus responded by kissing her deeply and holding her more tightly.

They pulled apart when it became necessary to breathe. Hermione's face was flushed and she was panting slightly. Severus looked a bit stunned and he seemed to be attempting to calm down. Hermione smiled up at him, as he tentatively reached out and placed his hands on her waist. Severus smirked at her when she blew out a shaky breath as he ran his hands across her hips. He brought his lips down to hers again and held her against his body. She could feel his arousal through his robes and it excited her even more.

Severus slowly led Hermione into his bedroom, never daring to release his hold on her. Hermione trembled slightly when he gently pushed her down onto the bed and lay down next to her. Severus trailed slow kisses down her neck while slowly bringing his hand up to caress her full breasts.

Hermione brought her hands up to unbutton his robes, but stopped when she heard his sharp intake of breath. Severus rubbed his forearm with an irritated look on his face. "You're being summoned," Hermione said softly, watching his face.

"Yes," Severus growled. "_Perfect_ timing." He got off the bed and straightened his robes, irritation evident on his face.

"I'd like to wait here for you," Hermione said quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking down at her hands.

"No," Severus said with stern finality. "I will escort you to your room and you will lock yourself in. We do not want Mr. Malfoy to get to you. I will send Miss Weasley to come in and stay with you as well." He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment and said, "I will contact you through the Floo when I return. I may be in need of your assistance at that time."

Hermione nodded and allowed him to lead her out of his chambers and into the hall. Once they arrived at her room, he ushered her inside and turned to leave again. "Be careful, Professor," she called to him. Professor Snape turned and gave a curt nod before he left her.

Several minutes later, a knock on the door announced Ginny's arrival. Hermione let her friend in and then locked the door behind her. Ginny immediately sat on Hermione's bed and looked over at her expectantly. "So, what happened?" Ginny asked, barely containing her excitement and curiosity.

"He was summoned," Hermione said shortly.

Ginny snorted with laughter. "Not that," she said rolling her eyes. "You know exactly what I'm asking about. I saw you dance with Professor Snape and then you left with him. I'm no idiot."

Hermione smiled slightly. "We went for a walk and ended up in his private rooms," she said conversationally.

Ginny's peals of laughter filled the room. Once she calmed she asked, "Did you sleep with him?"

Hermione hesitated, unsure of whether or not she should be sharing this information. "We ended up on his bed, but he was summoned before anything could really happen," she said.

"Bloody hell," Ginny muttered, shaking her head. "That's pretty bad timing. If you two had moved a little more quickly, you could have had it over and done with by the time he was summoned."

"Ginny," Hermione chided her. "I don't want to just have it over and done with. You make it sound like having to swallow some terrible tasting potion."

"Well, I don't much fancy Professor Snape," Ginny said mischievously. "For me it would be like having to swallow a disgusting potion." She laughed at Hermione's indignant scowl. "It's strange to think of Snape that way. He must be crazy about you."

"Hardly," Hermione said with a sigh. "He still snaps and scowls at me. He's still so sarcastic and bitter."

"That's just the way he is though," Ginny said reasonably. "He's got a strange little soft spot for you, and that says something. You can't expect him to turn into something sweet and cuddly. He'd be more like Dumbledore rather than himself." Hermione smiled and then began sharing some of the details of her evening.

After only two hours, the fire in Hermione's fireplace turned green. The girls watched with interest as Professor Snape's head appeared in the flame. "Miss Granger, your presence is required in the Headmaster's office," Snape said silkily. "Miss Weasley may join you as long as you move quickly." As quickly as it had appeared, Snape's face was gone.

Hermione threw some Floo powder into the flame and called out "Professor Dumbledore's office," as she and Ginny stepped into the fireplace. They landed in the Headmaster's fireplace with a thud. The girls dusted off their robes and stepped into the office to find Professor Snape already sitting in the room with Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. "Welcome," Dumbledore said kindly, motioning for the girls to sit in the two empty seats next to Snape.

Hermione and Ginny sat down hesitantly. "Is everything ok?" Hermione asked nervously glancing between Dumbledore and McGonagall. She carefully avoided looking at Professor Snape.

"Professor Snape returned fairly quickly this time," Dumbledore said slowly. "Unfortunately, it was because he was simply being given instructions. This weekend, he was instructed to bring you to Hogsmeade to pick up some items from the apothecary. It is there that the Death Eaters plan to kidnap you and use you as bait to lure Harry out of safety in order to save you. Also, they seem to feel that if you are out of the way, Harry will have lost his 'voice of reason'." Dumbledore simply gazed at Hermione once he had finished this little speech.

"Oh my," Hermione said softly. She finally looked over at Snape fearfully. Turning back to Dumbledore, she asked, "What are we going to do?"

"We are going to send you to the apothecary this weekend," Dumbledore said with a slight smile. "But, not before we send the Order to await the arrival of the Death Eaters. We simply wanted you to know what was being planned. You need to be aware of the danger that awaits you. Young Draco Malfoy has been trying to get you out of the way for several months now but has obviously been unsuccessful. You must be careful."

Hermione's face was pale as she took in this information. Ginny patted her shoulder sympathetically and then addressed Dumbledore. "This sounds risky. How can you be sure that she'll be safe?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Professor Snape will be there to make sure that she is protected," McGonagall chimed in with a poorly concealed grin. Snape shot her a furious glare that was ignored entirely.

"Of course, we can't force you to do this," Dumbledore said gently to Hermione. "This requires that you put a lot of trust in the Order and, possibly most especially, Professor Snape. Are you willing to go through with this?"

Hermione glanced at the potions master before nodding silently. "Wonderful," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "I'll take care of the details with the Order and we'll let you know our final plans." The girls recognized their cue to go, and muttered goodnight to the professors before leaving the office.

Once the girls had disappeared back through the fireplace, McGonagall smiled at Snape. "Did you enjoy the ball Severus?" she asked with an amused smirk. Snape chose to ignore her, so she continued. "I saw you dancing with Miss Granger. She really seemed to enjoy it. She even left with you. You must have swept her off her feet."

Snape remained resolutely silent, although his cheeks were looking slightly flushed. "Minerva, don't pester him," Dumbledore chuckled. He peered at Snape over the top of his glasses. "We're just happy to see you enjoying yourself Severus. Miss Granger is good for you, I think."

"You would be wrong," Snape growled in irritation. "I was so out of focus when I was summoned. I was rather lucky that the Dark Lord was so concerned about his plans or he would have questioned me. This is the sort of weakness that I simply will not permit myself to have."

"Don't be silly Severus," Minerva said waving her hand dismissively.

"I will not be weak!" Severus shouted furiously. Minerva and Albus looked at him in surprise. Severus sat back in his chair warily. "I couldn't even think straight. I probably could have found a way to avoid this new situation. If the Dark Lord had chosen to enter my mind, I doubt that I would have been prepared." He rested his head in his hands feeling much frustration with himself.

"Love is not a weakness," Albus said quietly, causing Severus to look up quickly.

"I never said anything about love," Severus said.

"You don't have to," Albus replied with a smile. "As I said, love is not a weakness. You felt out of sorts because you've been fighting with yourself about this for a while now and then you suddenly gave in on a whim. You allowed yourself that happiness and then you immediately went to a meeting with Voldemort. If you would stop fighting it, you could function better." Albus grinned at Severus' look of discomfort. "Love can be such a great source of strength. In fact, you might find it to be where true strength begins. It allows you to trust another person, which can be rather helpful. Instead of relying on yourself, you have access to her strengths and abilities as well. You can hold each other up in a way." Minerva nodded in approval while Severus shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"Perhaps we should retire for the night," Albus said kindly. "Think about what I said Severus. And, you should consider telling her how you feel, even if you don't want to admit it to Minerva and myself."

Severus looked at his colleagues with an unreadable expression on his face. After a moment, he turned and left the office. Minerva and Albus exchanged smiles before they wished each other a good night. Albus was left alone in his office, wondering what Severus would do next.


	26. Harry's Discovery

_I've made it to Chapter 26! Pretty cool, huh? Lots of action to come, so just stick with me. Oh, I had some wonderful ideas for my sequel. I'm so very excited. _

_I have a favor to ask... Well, I'm so unbelievably nervous about these little scenes between Severus and Hermione. It may sound stupid, but I need to know if I'm doing ok with it. I'm not fishing for compliments. I just need to know how I'm doing and if there's something I could do better._

**Harry's Discovery**

Ginny sat down on Hermione's bed with sigh. "Quite a night," she said with a grin. "You broke Ron's heart, danced with Snape, had some very up close and personal time with Snape, and then find out that you're a target for the Death Eaters. That's a lot of excitement for one day."

Hermione shook her head. "I didn't break Ron's heart," she mumbled with embarrassment.

"Maybe not intentionally," Ginny said. "He'll get over it, but he was furious when he saw you dancing with Snape. I think he'll probably want to give you a piece of his mind when he sees you tomorrow. Of course, I'm not sure he has much 'mind' to spare, so you may not have to worry about that." She grinned mischievously, causing Hermione to giggle.

The girls jumped when there was a knock at the door. Ginny cast a nervous glance at Hermione before she drew her wand and approached the door cautiously. She remembered that Draco Malfoy was still around and wanting to get rid of Hermione. She slowly turned the knob and pulled the door open, holding her wand up. She relaxed when she saw Professor Snape standing outside the door. "Professor," she said, releasing the breath she had been holding. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing Miss Weasley," Snape replied silkily. "It is after curfew."

"I'm keeping an eye on Hermione," Ginny retorted raising an eyebrow at him.

Snape rolled his eyes and stepped into the room. "Perhaps you can be of use," he said to her before turning his gaze to Hermione. She looked at him curiously. "We still need to honour your mother's request," he said holding up a camera. "I told her that you would have your picture taken when you had the opportunity to wear your dress robes. Miss Weasley here can operate the camera." He motioned for the girls to follow him and started to leave the room.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked him, standing up quickly.

"Back to the Great Hall," he replied smoothly. "It's still has that disgusting display of decorations which your mother will, perhaps, appreciate." Ginny and Hermione exchanged smirks when Snape turned his back and followed the professor down the hall.

Once in the Great Hall, Hermione looked uncertainly at Professor Snape. "Well?" he said impatiently. "Allow Miss Weasley to take some pictures of you." He folded his arms over his chest and looked at her expectantly.

Ginny immediately grabbed Hermione's hand and had her sit and stand in a couple of positions. Suddenly, she had an inspiration. "Professor Snape, you should be in at least one photo," she said slyly.

"What?" he said sharply.

"Well, Hermione did dance with you at the ball, and I'm sure Mrs. Granger would love a picture of it," Ginny said with a smirk. Without waiting for him to respond, she seized his arm and led him toward her friend. Snape mumbled something about "impertinent Gryffindor brats," causing Ginny to grin.

Snape swallowed hard and allowed Ginny to usher him to face Hermione. When the couple just looked at each other, Ginny sighed in exasperation. She pulled at Snape slightly and he allowed her to wrap his arms around Hermione's dainty waist. She guided Hermione's hands up to rest on Snape's shoulders. Ginny stepped back to look critically at the pair. "Ok, try to relax," she said impatiently. "Now, try dancing for a few moments so I can get the perfect shot."

"It is a moving photograph," Snape said incredulously.

"But, it needs to be just right," Ginny replied dismissively. "And if you just stand there, that's what you'll do in the picture as well. Now, if you're quite through arguing with me, we'll get this picture taken." Hermione stifled a giggle.

Snape sighed and tried to clear his mind as he began dancing slowly with the beautiful young witch in his arms. He twirled her around smoothly and gracefully, and was rewarded when she gave him a breath-taking smile. He almost didn't notice when Ginny snapped the picture. "Well, that's it then," she said with a little smirk. "I'll leave this camera on the table for you to pick up when you're through here Professor Snape. See you tomorrow Hermione." She set down the camera and rushed through the doors, leaving Hermione and Professor Snape looking after her.

"_She's getting to be as bad as Albus_," Snape thought wearily. "Come along Miss Granger," he said to her, picking up the camera and heading toward the door.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked, feeling a bit nervous.

"I'm escorting you to your room for the night," he replied smoothly.

They walked through the halls silently. Snape stole a few glances at her as they walked side by side toward the head girl's room. She appeared to be a bit nervous and seemed to be looking everywhere but at him. Arriving at her room, Snape opened the door for her. He followed her in and then looked over the room to be sure no one else was there. Satisfied that her bedroom was safe, he looked at Hermione, who was looking at the floor feeling slightly embarrassed. He could not keep his eyes from roaming over her body. He was quite pleased that she was still wearing the dress robes.

Snape finally lifted his eyes to her face. She looked rather tired and worried. No doubt, the effects of the night's events were catching up with her. Snape mentally berated himself for feeling anything even closely resembling concern for the little know-it-all. In spite of himself, he took a few steps toward her, almost forgetting to breathe when she looked up at him. He desperately searched his mind for something to say, feeling awkward.

"There's no need for concern," he said rather stiffly. "Professor Dumbledore merely wanted you to be aware of the situation. I will be with you, and you will be safe. You just have to trust me." He sighed inwardly. "_Now she's going to think that you actually care about her being nervous_," he thought in irritation.

Hermione offered him a small smile that caused him to forget his aggravation with himself. "Thank you," she murmured softly, never taking her eyes off his face. Without thinking, Snape took a step closer so that she was close enough to draw in his arms. Hesitantly, he brought up one hand to touch her face. His eyes drifted down to her mouth and, before he could stop himself, he leaned in to kiss her.

Hermione's heart fluttered as Snape's lips met hers. The kiss was tentative, as if he half expected her to turn away in disgust. To encourage him, she pressed her lips more firmly to his. It had the desired effect because Snape promptly brought his other hand to the back of her neck and ran his tongue along her bottom lip, as if begging for entrance to her mouth. Hermione opened her mouth slightly and shivered in delight as she felt his tongue caress hers.

Keeping one hand on the back of her neck, Snape let his other hand drift from her face to her shoulder. From there, he allowed his hand to run up and down her body slowly, learning every womanly curve. He loved the feeling of the silky material under his fingertips. He couldn't help thinking that he would like the dress robes more if they were pooled at her feet rather than obstructing his view of the beautiful body before him.

After a few moments, Snape ended the kiss. "I must go," he said, although his expression suggested that the last thing he wanted to do was leave Hermione's bedroom. "It is late and we have potions to work on tomorrow." Hermione nodded silently. Snape hesitated a moment before leaning in again to kiss her softly. Without another word, he left the room in a swirl of black robes. Hermione closed the door behind him and smiled to herself as she changed for bed.

The next morning, after showering and changing clothes, Hermione went to the Great Hall for breakfast. Hermione sat down next to Ginny, who was giving her a look that indicated that she wanted to hear every detail about the night before. Hermione smiled at the red head and turned to look at Harry and Ron across the table. "Good morning," she said cheerfully.

"Morning," Harry replied with a big smile. Ron muttered a greeting as well.

"Something wrong?" Hermione asked him.

"Why did you dance with Snape last night?" Ron demanded, glaring at her.

"Because she wanted to, you twit," Ginny said in annoyance, cutting off Hermione's response. "She works with Snape all the time. There was nothing wrong with dancing with him. You act like they were snogging in the middle of the Great Hall."

Ron shuddered with revulsion. Harry grinned and rolled his eyes, but then he noticed that there was a faint blush in Hermione's cheeks. Deciding that it wasn't a good time for questions, Harry ate his toast in silence.

"I just don't understand why you'd let that greasy git touch you," Ron said furiously. "That man is just plain evil. You already have to be around him more than anyone else is. I don't see why you'd want to dance with him too."

"Don't be a prat Ron," Harry said finally. "Leave her alone. She's spends a lot of time with him and it was polite to dance with him when he asked." He was glad that Ron didn't see the slightly guilty look cross Hermione's face. "_So, Hermione asked Snape_?" Harry thought to himself. He quickly focused his attention back to Ron. "Don't worry about it." Ron gave a shrug and went back to his breakfast.

Once they were finished eating, the four Gryffindors stood up to leave. "Ron, you go ahead, I need to talk to Hermione and Ginny," Harry said once they had stopped outside the Great Hall.

Ron looked confused for a moment, but he shrugged and walked down the hall. Hermione cast a nervous glance at Ginny and then looked expectantly at Harry. "Alright you two," Harry began as they walked down the hall together. "What's going on that you're not telling me?"

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked in what she hoped was an innocent tone.

"Don't play dumb with me," he said laughing. "Hermione, you've been acting funny for a while now. Sometimes I see you two look at each other as if you have some big secret. There's something going on with Snape, I'm just not sure what exactly." He paused and peered at them suspiciously. "I saw you dancing with Snape, Hermione. Just now, during breakfast, I got the impression that maybe you were the one that asked him to dance. Care to share what you're up to?" he asked.

Hermione sighed. She had no idea what to say now. She looked at Ginny. "Listen Harry," Ginny said quietly. "Hermione has spent loads of time with Professor Snape and, well, he's not exactly the cold-hearted bastard that we originally thought he was. He's actually pretty nice to her. Let's just say that they've had a few minor little confrontations..." She smiled in amusement. "It's been rather funny actually."

Harry looked at Hermione in surprise and then he noticed the necklace she was wearing. Wordlessly, he stepped closer and lifted the gold necklace away from her body to examine the gold pendant. "I've never seen this," he said slowly. He smiled as he recognized the Gryffindor lion. Curiously, he turned the pendant over and smirked when he saw her name and the words "Potions Apprentice" engraved on the back. "Minor confrontations, huh?" he said with a small smile. "This necklace indicates something a bit more serious." He frowned as he regarded Hermione thoughtfully. "Why Snape?" he asked. "We've always hated him, and he's so awful to you."

"You've always hated him," Hermione said gently. "I admired him, and working with him has allowed me to see other sides of him." Hermione looked down at her hands as she walked. "Are you terribly angry with me Harry?"

Harry frowned and then cast a quick look at Ginny before he said, "I can't say that I wouldn't prefer you with Ron. But, that's not for me to decide."

"Right," Ginny said helpfully. "I saw you when you danced with Snape, Hermione. I haven't seen you so happy before without you finding some interesting information in the library."

"That's true," Harry said, forcing a smile. He looked over at Hermione. "I'm not thrilled about the fact that you fancy Snape, but I guess I can live with that. I've been suspecting something since Christmas, so it's not quite a complete shock. I really don't think Ron needs to find out all at once though." Hermione shuddered at the idea. "He's going to find out though. We just have to know how to handle it when he does." Harry gave Hermione another puzzled look before continuing to walk to his first class of the day.

That afternoon, Hermione met with Professor Snape in the potions classroom. "Miss Granger," Snape said smoothly. "Today we'll be brewing several simple potions for the hospital wing." At Hermione's questioning look, he said, "We want to be prepared for this weekend. If there are any injuries during the confrontation with the Dark Lord's followers, we must be prepared."

Hermione swallowed hard and nodded. "You need not be concerned about any such injuries, Miss Granger," Snape said setting several ingredients next to a cauldron and not looking at her. "You will remain at my side and no harm will come to you."

"Thank you," Hermione murmured.

Snape watched as she brewed the potions that he requested. She worked quickly and efficiently with a grace that had mesmerized. "_I can't think about her like this_," he mentally scolded himself. "_I don't want this little brat to be a weakness for me_." His mind wandered to all the things that Dumbledore had said about the situation. It had made sense, but it had never occurred to him that he could be in love with this young witch. He frowned thoughtfully. Lust was definitely not the same thing as love, but he frequently found himself feeling concerned about her safety and health. The entire situation was shaping up to be quite irritating.

_So many reviews! I couldn't reply to all of you but just know that I sit at my computer and take time out to read every single one. Each one always brings a smile to my face... So I smile a lot now. lol I love you guys!_

_**FireKidd: **I actually blushed when I read your review. Thank you so much._

_**Severus-Fan: **No tears allowed:) I'm hooked now. I can't just quit._

_**Sparrow's Lovely Lass: ** I cried when I read HBP too. My goodness it was depressing. _

_**Bronwyn: **I liked the "sex is like air" thing too. You know, a lot of the funny side commentary in this story comes from my real life. That's a little "motto" me and two of my girlfriends have adopted. I crack up every time I hear it. _

_**CapnSilver: **No, Severus is still being stubborn. sigh He'll come around. Albus and Ginny just aren't going to leave him alone._

_**ash: ** Don't worry about it. I understand completely. I was frustrated and nearly just dropped the story entirely. It was quite a nasty shock. But, I'm glad you're going to continue reading. Thanks. Let's all cross our fingers and pray that JKR has something much better in store for us in book 7._

_**Wiily: ** Well, thank you. I tried really hard to figure out what Snape would have against love and all that. I'm pleased that I have your approval._

_**StrGzr974: **I hope this didn't take to long. I had to wait for my beta to finish with it. You really think the bedroom scene was ok? I'm really nervous about writing that sort of thing._

_**Portkeys Miss-Mione:** Thank you so much. I'm still trying to get over HBP. I have a hard time keeping my mind off of it while I'm creating these chapters. It's all so upsetting. _

_**annelovesanimals: **Oh, I'm thrilled that I'm not going to be chained to the computer. My fiance will be so happy. :)_

_**LateNiteRomance: ** You put off your fiance to read my story? That's so flattering. Thank you. I hope he wasn't mad about that. Music theory is not fun at all. Also, I absolutely love long reviews, so no apology is needed._

_**Satan's Assassin 19902:** I inspired you to write fanfic. That's sweet. I'll have to go check out your new story. I can't wait to read it. Good luck with it._

_**SeagullGirl: ** I haven't written in so long and it took me a little while to get into a rhythm. I was working a little too quickly. It was a quantity vs. quality thing. Now I have a beta fixing some of the errors I make in my haste to post new chapters... But, it's gotten easier and my beta doesn't have quite as much work to do. I'm so happy that you love it._

_**ninjaalexa: ** You're most welcome. And thank you so much for reviewing to tell me. I appreciate it._


	27. Pointless Denial

_I must warn you, there's not a whole lot going on in this chapter. It's a transition to the next big event... But, hopefully, it will still meet your approval. It's a little short than the others, but I'll make up for it._

_I want to thank everyone that reviewed. I was showing my insecurity in my Author's note from my last chapter. You all rose to the occasion and sent such kind words of encouragement. Thanks. I had lots of reviews and I answered lots of them. To those that I didn't get around to replying to: Know that your reviews were read and very much appreciated._

**Pointless Denial**

Hermione walked down the hall to the classroom in the dungeons feeling quite anxious. It was Friday afternoon, and the next day she and Professor Snape would go to Hogsmead and encounter the Death Eaters. Her stomach clenched painfully at the thought.

"Enter," said a stern voice when she knocked on the heavy wooden door. Hermione nervously pushed the door open and stepped in the classroom. "Miss Granger, let's get to work," Professor Snape said, not looking at her. "Before long, the headmaster would like to speak with us to be sure we are all aware of the plan tomorrow."

He glanced at Hermione to see her nod mutely. "_I will not feel sympathetic toward her_," Snape thought with determination. "_It's her own fault for being such close friends with that imbecile Potter. That's why she's become such a target_." He failed miserably at convincing himself of this idea. He knew it was unfair that she was in such danger for being a friend of Potter's. Snape shook his head slightly. He'd had her in his arms the night before and it was pointless and idiotic to try and deny to himself that he felt nothing for the lovely young witch. Perhaps it wasn't as deep as Dumbledore was suggesting, but she at least seem to have some physical attraction to him.

Suddenly realizing that he had remained motionless and deep in thought for a little too long, Snape shook his head again and set to work preparing another potion. He had no intention of depleting Madame Pomfrey's supply of medicinal potions tomorrow after seeing the Death Eaters. It was far more efficient to stay ahead. Thinking about these things allowed him to continue working and not get so distracted by the Gryffindor know-it-all that had been occupying his thoughts lately.

After two hours of silent brewing, there was a knock on the classroom door. "Enter," Snape said startling Hermione who had been concentrating too hard to hear the knock. The door opened and Harry Potter stuck his head in the room.

"Excuse me Professor," Harry said. "Professor Dumbledore wanted me to tell you that he's ready for the meeting." He gave Hermione a little smirk before turning his attention back to Professor Snape.

"Very well," Snape said turning to Hermione. "Miss Granger..."

"I'm finished," Hermione said, labeling all the vials that she had filled with the potion. Snape nodded in approval and they followed Harry out of the classroom to Dumbledore's office.

"Ah, welcome!" Dumbledore called out cheerfully when the small group entered his office. "Please come in and have a seat." Snape took a seat next to McGonagall, while Hermione and Harry seated themselves right in front of Dumbledore's desk. "Well, since it's getting late I'll simply let you know what to do tomorrow," Dumbledore said peering at the two young Gryffindors over his glasses. "The order will be going over to Hogsmead early to wait for the Death Eaters. They will all remain hidden. Miss Granger and Professor Snape will go into the apothecary at the appointed time. Professor Snape will keep Miss Granger out of the way while the rest of the Order takes care of the Death Eaters. Rather simple really. The Order members have a more in-depth version of my plan, but you only need to know the basics," he said smiling kindly at Hermione.

"Harry's going?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"He wanted to be involved and I thought that would be fine," Dumbledore said with a smile. "There will be plenty of members of the Order there to keep him safe." Harry frowned slightly, feeling that he didn't need protection, but he said nothing.

Hermione wrung her hands nervously. She glanced over at Professor Snape who was glaring at Harry as if he found it particularly offensive to be in the same room with "the boy who lived". Harry was ignoring Snape and trying not to speculate on why Hermione seemed to like the potions professor so much.

After a brief moment of awkward silence, Dumbledore said "Well, that is all. We'll meet out on the grounds at nine o'clock in the morning. Keep your wands nearby. Harry take along your invisibility cloak. Miss Granger, Professor Snape will give you any further instructions he feels will ensure your safety. And now, I say goodnight." He ended his little speech with a cheerful smile.

Harry, Hermione and Professor Snape stood up at the same time and headed for the door. Once outside, Snape addressed Harry stiffly. "Potter, escort Miss Granger to her room," he said coldly.

"Yes sir," Harry replied scowling. Snape turned and stalked away from them swiftly. "Honestly, Hermione," Harry said shaking his head in dismay. "Snape?"

"Shut up, Harry," Hermione muttered.

"He certainly is cheerful tonight," Harry commented as they started down the hallway. "He's probably angry that I was there. It would seem a bit obvious if he took you to your room with me standing here." He smiled slightly at Hermione.

Hermione looked at him skeptically for a moment. "Harry, you're taking all of this so much better than I would have expected," she said slowly. "To be honest, I thought you were going to be furious with me."

"I'm not happy about it Hermione," he told her. "I've suspected something ever since Christmas. It didn't come as much of a surprise when I found out the truth. When I saw you at the ball, you looked pretty happy dancing with Snape." He paused thoughtfully. "Besides Ron will be angry enough for both of us."

Hermione laughed nervously. "I'm not looking forward to that," she admitted.

"One thing I'd like to know," Harry said smiling. "Back at Christmas, Fred and George put that sticking charm on the mistletoe. Lupin said that he got caught under the mistletoe with you, but I got the impression that we weren't getting the whole story. Would you care to fill me in now?" He smirked when Hermione blushed.

"Well, it wasn't Lupin," Hermione said quietly. "Snape got stuck in that room with me. Obviously, he kissed me. Lupin said that he had kissed me because he knew that everyone's reaction would be better than if they knew that it was really Snape. Moody had told Lupin what really happened. Moody saw the whole thing through the door," she said scowling.

Harry laughed. "I bet that was embarrassing," he said with a grin. He stopped in front of Hermione's door. "I'll see you bright and early," he said, ushering her inside.

"Goodnight Harry," she said before she closed the door. Hermione quickly changed her clothes and climbed into her soft, warm bed. She tried to clear her mind of all thoughts of what tomorrow would bring. Sleep eluded her for a long while before she was finally overtaken by dreams of a man with black hair and long black robes.

Hermione woke early the next morning feeling quite anxious. She nervously, showered, dressed in jeans and a green sweater, and then brushed her long curly hair out. Luckily, over the years, her hair had become a little more take. It was no longer the bushy mess that it once was. Hermione glanced at her reflection in the mirror and then left the room.

Arriving in the Great Hall, she was surprised that Harry and Ginny were waiting for her at the Gryffindor table. "What are you two doing up?" she asked. "It's only seven thirty."

"I knew you'd be awake and that you'd be a nervous wreck," Harry said with an impish grin. "I thought I'd meet you for breakfast so you won't pace until your ready to collapse."

"And I wanted to wish you two luck," Ginny added. She frowned slightly. "I think I should be able to help to, but I guess I'll have to settle for a detailed description when you come back."

Hermione smiled gratefully and helped herself to some toast. The three of them kept the conversation light, not wanting to discuss the coming events just yet. Finally, at eight thirty, Hermione could no longer sit still so they left the Great Hall and went out onto the grounds to wait for Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape.

Ginny walked with them to the door and then gave Hermione a quick hug. "Good luck," Ginny said softly. "Don't worry. Snape will protect you." She flashed Hermione a grin and winked at Harry before walking away.

Outside, Harry and Hermione were surprised to see that Professor Snape was already prepared to go. "Good morning, Professor," Hermione said, trying to smile.

"Miss Granger," Professor Snape said silkily. "Mr. Potter," he said, acknowledging Harry disdainfully.

Harry nodded his head stiffly, in a rather poor attempt to be polite. A voice behind him made Harry jump slightly, causing Snape to smirk in satisfaction. "Good morning," Dumbledore said smiling at them. "We will be meeting the others just outside the gate." At that, he led the way toward the gate.

"Relax Hermione," Harry said nudging her, wanting to ease some of her obvious anxiety. "This will be exciting. We're going to go skulking around in Hogsmead to catch some Death Eaters." He quickly jumped behind a nearby shrub and peaked around it at her. Then he slunk over to a tree, dunking behind it before he popped his head out to look at her. "Oh, look at me. I'm skulking," Harry said dramatically.

Snape opened his mouth to make a scathing remark, but Hermione spoke up first. "Harry, you are being ridiculous," Hermione said folding her arms across her chest and looking at him as if he were mad. "I honestly don't know what's gotten into you. This is very serious."

"I was only trying to cheer you up," Harry said sheepishly, walking out from behind the tree. "I'm taking this seriously, I just want you to worry so much."

Hermione smiled at him. "I just don't know what to do with you sometimes," she said with a little giggle.

"Idiotic Gryffindors," Snape muttered icily. He turned his back on them and continued on his way to the gate.

Dumbledore chuckled and then winked at Harry and Hermione, motioning for them to follow Snape. Harry grinned again and started walking again. Hermione shook her head at him with a smile.

Arriving at the gate, Harry and Hermione smiled when they saw who was waiting there for them. Tonks, Lupin, Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were conversing in low tones. Arthur Weasley was there along with his two oldest sons, Bill and Charlie. There were also quite a few witches and wizards that Harry and Hermione didn't recognize.

"Let's be on our way then," Dumbledore said cheerfully, as if they were going to a Christmas party rather than thwarting Voldemort's attempt to kidnap Hermione. Snape winced at Dumbledore's tone and looked momentarily disgusted. He schooled his expression to become neutral once again and then followed the headmaster dutifully toward Hogsmeade.

"Here we go," Hermione said softly, wringing her hands anxiously. Harry patted her shoulder and walked by her side as they followed the members of the Order of the Phoenix.

_**Sirey:** I cracked up when I saw how many reviews you sent._ _I'm glad you liked it so much. I tried really hard to make it funny, and not just like all the others. I can be a hopeless romantic, so I've been struggling not to rush things._

_**Humanity74:** I figured Hermione needed to have Harry be a bit understanding since Ron is probably going to give her a hard time. Besides, Harry's been suspicious for a while now. I think men are a bit dense sometimes... No offense to any guys that might read this. Maybe the best thing to say is that they can be a bit oblivious to the mental workings of women. And that's ok. Snape just needs some encouragement. _

_**Portkeys Miss-Mione:** I would just like to say that I love hearing from you. You're one of the people that I look for when I read reviews. I truly value your opinion. Thanks. Snape can be a really hard character to write about. _

_**annelovesanimals:** First off, I want to say that I hope you're feeling alright. By all means, when you figure out what's missing, let me know. I'd be happy to see what I can do about it._

_**Satan's Assassin 19902:** I didn't know what everyone would think of the "sex is like air thing". It's a little motto for me and two of my close friends. lol It makes me laugh. I think I will go read your story. I'm curious and I love to read._

_**StrGzr974:** Thank you so much. I was so afraid that ya'll would think that my bedroom scenes suck. lol_

_**CapnSilver:** You're starting to prefer it to JKR's stuff... Oh wow. Now, that's a compliment. You're so sweet. You still have to wait a little longer to see how the Death Eater thing turns out. :) Guess you'll just have to keep reading._

_**Jibs:** I understand how you feel. I think Snape is good still. Don't give up on him just yet._

_**Loreleisealgirl:** Oh wow. Cancelling meetings and ignoring phone calls for my little story. How sweet. I'm glad it was worth it to you._

_**candycanechild:** I'm glad you liked the "pooled at her feet" thing... I was afraid it'd be a little to melodramatic for my usual style of writing. But, if you liked it I guess it's alright._

_**ash:** You know, I think there's more to Snape than book 6 is showing... You need to read a few of these theories that people have been sending me. They make a lot of sense. I still believe that he's good. I may be wrong and we'll never know for sure until book 7 comes out. But, I have hope._

_**herovillain:** blush Thanks. I admit that I have a bit of a problem with low self-esteem. My writing is quite personal to me... I got a review the other day that was, quite frankly, very rude. I nearly cried. I'm one of those people that wants to make sure my readers are kept happy._

_**HermioneResilda:** More kisses? Hmmm... I think I can manage that. lol_

_**SeverusSnape'sLove:** Thanks for sending that link. I hope it's true. Keep your fingers crossed._

_**kimbo:** That information does cheer me up, and that was what I was upset about. I liked Snape's character more and more after each book. I've read some theories too and I feel that they have good reason to trust Dumbledore's judgement. We Severus fans just have to keep hoping... Thanks._


	28. The Trip To Hogsmead

_I'm so proud of myself! Two chapter in one day. I haven't done that in a while. Hope you like it._

**The Trip To Hogsmead**

Hermione looked around nervously as the group entered Hogsmead. She half-expected to get ambushed by Death Eaters as they walked down the road. She forced herself to keep her hands at her side. She didn't want to give away the fact that she was afraid.

Snape cast a side-long glance at his anxious young apprentice. He noticed that she was chewing on her lip and her hands were clenched firmly at her sides. "Relax Miss Granger," he said in a rich, velvety tone. "We must act natural. We'll act as if we are running errands and our last stop is the apothecary. The Order is following us every where we go. If the Dark Lord's followers corner us early, the Order will be there to keep you safe. You mustn't give any clue that you knew anything ahead of time."

Hermione nodded silently, willing her face to look a bit more calm. Snape smirked at her rather poor attempt to appear relaxed. "Perhaps we can find something that will help," he said causing her to look at him curiously. He didn't comment any further, but led her down the street into a familiar shop.

He had led her into a book store. Hermione smiled and hurried over to a shelf to look through the books. "_So easily pleased_," Snape thought with a smirk when he noted her happy expression. Snape looked around wondering if the Order members had managed to stay nearby. He was slightly surprised to see a book in the middle of one shelf in front of him slide out of place and then slip back between the other books. Snape knew that one of the Order members, hidden by a disillusionment charm, had simply pulled the book out when he looked that direction.

After several minutes, Snape led Hermione back out of the store. She looked considerably more content than before. Snape nodded in satisfaction and led the way into several shops. Finally, Snape drew in a long breath and ushered Hermione into the apothecary. Hermione's body stiffened and she walked hesitantly. She smiled slightly when an unseen hand tugged gently on a lock of her hair. She knew it was Harry attempting to reassure her.

Snape made a show of examining various ingredients for potions, while covertly keeping an eye on Hermione. A familiar popping sound made Hermione jump and Snape whirled around. Several Death Eaters in masks were now standing in the apothecary. Hermione's heart pounded against her chest and her stomach felt like it was full of lead.

"Wonderful to see you little mudblood," one of the masked men hissed. He raised his wand and opened his mouth but before he could make another sound a spell hit him in the chest, knocking him to the floor.

The other Death Eaters looked around, startled. To their surprise, the members of the Order revealed themselves and began firing spells. Hermione watched as spells were sent from many directions. She raised her wand and said "Petrificus totalus," instantly freezing a Death Eater that was closing in on Harry. In response, three Death Eaters turned and threw stunners at her. Snape watched in horror as she collapsed, hitting her head on the floor with a loud thump, and remained motionless on the floor.

"Hermione!" Harry cried out. He began fighting more fiercely than ever.

Snape rushed to Hermione's side, dodging spells as he went. He knelt next to her and made sure no wayward spell came near her. When he was sure no one was watching him, he waved his wand silently, effectively throwing one of the Death Eaters into a wall. He looked back down at Hermione. She was so still and pale. Minerva had been hit by several stunners at once two years ago, and she had survived. He only hoped Hermione's body was strong enough to keep her alive.

After several minutes, the Order had captured each of the Death Eaters. Dumbledore looked around quickly to make sure everyone was alright. Tonks had a bloody nose and Harry was clutching his right shoulder with a grim expression. Everyone else looked exhausted and a bit bruised, but otherwise unharmed. Only Hermione lay motionless on the floor.

"How is she?" Harry asked quickly, before Dumbledore had the chance to. He tried not to notice that Snape had picked her up and was cradling her body against his chest.

"We must get her back to Hogwarts," Snape said stiffly. "She needs treatment immediately. Then I must report to the Dark Lord to cover my tracks."

Dumbledore nodded. "Harry, Severus and I will take Hermione back to the school," he said moving toward the door. "The rest of you, kindly help repair the damage to the apothecary and wait for the ministry to come and remove these," he said gesturing to the unconscious Death Eaters that had been piled up in the middle of the room. He strode swiftly from the store and led the way back to Hogwarts.

Once they were safe inside the school, Dumbledore led the way through the hallways. "Professor Dumbledore," Harry said in confusion. "Where are we going? The hospital wing is the other direction."

"We don't want the other students to know what has happened," Dumbledore replied quietly. "I think it would be best to allow Miss Granger to heal at another location."

Harry nodded, suspecting that he knew exactly where they were going. Confirming Harry's suspicions, Dumbledore led them to Snape's private rooms. Stepping through the door, Snape carried Hermione to his bedroom and put her on the bed. Dumbledore took out his wand and muttered "Ennervate." Hermione didn't move. "It was worth a try," he said ruefully. "Well, we'll just have to do this the hard way. She'll be fine in no time," he added with an encouraging smile at Harry.

Snape handed them a vial of greenish liquid. "Give this to her," he said hastily. "I must go, but I should return fairly soon." Without waiting for them to reply, he turned on his heal and left.

Two hours later, Snape came back in to find Potter sitting in a chair with his head leaned back against the wall. He had obviously fallen asleep while he was watching over Hermione. Minerva McGonagall was sitting nearby looking anxiously at the unconscious head girl. "Severus," she said when she noticed him. "You're back."

"Obviously," he replied smoothly with a smirk. "The Dark Lord was not happy with my report. I convinced him that Albus was apparently concerned about Miss Granger and I going to Hogsmead and sent some people to guard us without my knowledge. I also said that Potter was highly suspicious about Miss Granger accompanying me to the apothecary. He seemed to believe me."

McGonagall sighed in relief and then looked back over at Hermione. "She hasn't really improved any," she said quietly.

"She also hit her head in addition to the stunning spells," Snape informed her. "Give her some time."

Dumbledore entered the room moments later and Snape explained his meeting with Voldemort. Dumbledore nodded and then said "Very well. It seems your position as spy is safe for now. However, I don't think this will be the end of his attempts to get Miss Granger." He looked over at Hermione for a moment and then back at Snape. "Take care of her," he said before leaving the room with McGongall.

Momentarily, Harry woke up and jumped slightly when he saw Snape. "I guess I'll go now," he said anxiously. He looked hesitantly at the surly professor for a second before he said "Sir? Do you think I could visit her later? And Ginny and Ron?"

Snape regarded him thoughtfully for a moment. He wanted to say no, but he decided that allowing Potter and the Weasley girl to visit would probably please Hermione once she was feeling better. "After dinner, if she is awake by then, you may come to see her," he said with a sneer. "Be sure not to speak of it in front of anyone." Harry nodded and hurried out of the room.

Snape closed the door behind Harry, feeling quite irritated that he would have to endure Potter being in his room once again. Grimacing at the idea, he went back over to his bed to look at Hermione. She looked so peaceful. Hesitantly, he reached out and touched her hair. It was so soft that he was almost tempted to bury his face in it. His fingertips brushed against her face tentatively. He jerked his hand away in shock when her eyes fluttered open.

"What happened?" she asked in confusion. Her eyes were wide with fear as they darted around as if she thought one of the Dark Lord's followers was lurking in the shadows.

"You were hit by a few stunners," Snape said briskly. "You fell and hit your head pretty hard. We brought you back here to prevent the other students from asking questions about what happened to you."

"I see," Hermione said groaning as she turned her head slightly to see Professor Snape better. "My goodness, I'm sore."

Wordlessly, Snape uncorked a vial of some green liquid and carefully helped her drink it. The relief came quickly and Hermione sighed. "Thank you," she said.

Feeling awkward, Snape moved to the side table and brought over a small stack of photographs. Hermione hesitated before taking the photos from him. Looking down, she recognized herself in her beautiful dress robes. "The pictures from the ball," Hermione said quietly with a small smile. She looked through the pictures until she got to the photo of herself dancing with Snape. She flushed as she gazed at the image of her twirling about happily with her professor. Occassionally, the dancing couple would stop and Hermione would wave while Snape merely scowled at the interuption. Hermione set the pictures in her lap and looked up at Snape with a shy smile. "They turned out well," she said.

"You had doubts?" Snape asked raising an eyebrow at her, causing Hermione to giggle a little. He offered a small reluctant smile. "For now, you must rest. Your friends wish to come visit you after dinner. If you want to see them, I suggest you get some sleep beforehand."

Hermione nodded and snuggled down in the blankets. Snape quietly left the room to let her sleep and went to the Great Hall for dinner.

"Why didn't I get to go?" Ron demanded indignantly, when he sat down next to Harry at the Gryffindor table.

"We couldn't have a bunch of students going," Harry said reasonably. "I got special permission from Dumbledore at the last minute."

"I didn't get to go either," Ginny added, getting quite irritated by Ron's pouting.

Ron continued to grumble, but seemed to relax enough to enjoy his dinner. After a while, Harry caught sight of Snape passing the Gryffindor table. Harry gave the professor a questioning look and was pleased when Snape gave him a slight nod. "We can go see Hermione," Harry whispered to Ginny and Ron.

"Let's go then," Ron said getting up quickly.

Harry led the way down to Snape's rooms and was surprised to see Snape waiting at the door for them. Snape opened the door and sneered as the three Gryffindors followed him into his private rooms. He ushered them into the bedroom and whispered harshly "Keep quiet. Don't get her overly excited or upset."

"Yes sir," the three said in unison.

Hermione looked up when they walked in. "Hello," she said with a smile.

"I'm so glad you're ok," Ginny said giving Hermione a hug. "We were so worried."

Harry and Ron sat on the bed next to Hermione and gave her big smiles. "So, glad you didn't snuff it Hermione," Ron said with a cheeky grin. "Who else would keep us from failing all of our NEWTs?" Ginny and Hermione rolled their eyes.

"Hey, what are these Hermione?" Harry asked pointing to something laying on the bed.

Hermione looked down to see that the pictures were still sitting next to her on the bed. The picture of herself and Professor Snape was on the top. Ron picked them up curiously and his mouth sagged open slightly. The eyes that met Hermione's looked angry and hurt.

_**Humanity74:** I can't believe you threatened me with a spork! I would never harm Snape. My goodness. What a suggestion! What kind of Snape fan would I be? lol_

_**Severus-Fan:** Soon enough for you?_

_**Dancing Pickle:** I cracked up laughing when I saw your pen name. It's so cute. You thought it said Santa's Assassin? lol That would be funny. I'm flattered that you like my work so much. It means a lot to me._

_**Morena-Forever:** I can't answer that... Sorry, but you'll find out very soon. I promise. _

_**SlytherinsDarkAngel07:** Thanks for the cookie._

_**MigratingCoconuts06:** Thanks. I felt it was necessary too. That's why I wrote it. I wouldn't waste my time with a completely pointless chapter. And if I ever do, well then, I should just retire. lol_

_**CapnSilver: ** And another cliff-hanger. Sorry. I couldn't resist. And, Hermione is staying with Snape. lol Now, if we can just get her friends out of the room. lol_


	29. Ron's Jealousy

_I've been working hard lately. You're all so demanding. :) But, that's ok. _

_These last 3 chapters have been done without the help of my beta... She's unavailable at this time. So, I've been doing some minor editing on my own. _

_To my Beta, MysticSong1978: I don't know how I ever got along without you. It's not easy. I have an even greater appreciation for you now._

_One of my reviewers has given me the Snape Award. She made it up. I'm just so proud. wipes away tears and gives a princess wave Thank you!_

**Ron's Jealousy**

Hermione's eyes grew wide as she looked into Ron's angry face. Ginny decided to help out. "Ron, those are picture's from the ball," she said reasonably, hoping it would satisfy him.

"These aren't from the ball," Ron snapped in irritation. "She didn't have her picture taken at the ball and there are no other people here."

"Well," Ginny said slowly, searching her brain for an answer.

"Professor Snape escorted me to my room and had Ginny come and stay with me," Hermione said quietly. "He had been summoned. When he returned he flooed my room and had Ginny and I go to the Headmaster's office where we found out about Voldemort's plan."

"What the bloody hell does that have to do with this picture?" Ron demanded, before she could finish her story.

"Let her finish, you prat," Ginny spat at him. Ron glared at her, but fell silent.

Hermione drew in a deep breath. "After leaving Dumbledore's office, Ginny and I went back to my room. After a little while, Snape came and got us because he had told my mother that we would get my picture taken when I got to wear my dress robes. So, we went down to the Great Hall since it was still decorated and Ginny took some pictures," she said folding her hands in her lap.

"It was my idea to put Snape in a picture with her," Ginny added. "I wanted a picture of her dancing with someone."

Ron was silent for a moment. Then he picked up the picture and examined it a bit more closely. Harry groaned inwardly when a look of disgust crossed Ron's face. "All of that doesn't explain why you look so thrilled to be in Snape's arms," Ron said furiously to Hermione. "You were my date to the ball. In this picture, he's holding you so closely to himself. You wouldn't even let me do that." He looked pain for a brief moment before he looked angry again.

"She didn't want to hurt you, mate," Harry said. "She told you that she only wanted to be friends."

"But, this is Snape!" he protested. "Why would she want to dance with him over me? I mean unless..." Ron stopped and looked thoughtful for a moment. "No," he said quietly as realization seemed to sink in. The look of fury returned. "Hermione's it's Professor Snape!" he said, starting to raise his voice. "What are you thinking? How could you like him? Are you sleeping with him to get better NEWT scores in potions?" He realized as soon as he'd said it that he'd gone to far, but he didn't care at the moment.

"How dare you," Hermione said in a dangerously quiet voice. "You are not my father or my keeper Ronald Weasley. You're also not a particularly good friend if you would suggest such a thing. I would never sleep with someone to improve my grades. Unlike you, I wouldn't need to," she added coldly.

"So, you are sleeping with him," Ron said angrily, ignoring her last comment.

"No," Hermione snapped. "Not that it's any of your business anyway!"

By this point, they were both red in the face and shouting at each other. Snape strode swiftly into the room in a swirl of ominous black robes. In one smooth motion, he grabbed Ron by the front of his robes and slammed him into the wall. "I told you not to upset her," Snape hissed with cold fury. Ron started to stay something but Snape cut him off. "Close your mouth you insolent fool." Snape turned to look at Hermione and his angry expression faded when he saw that she had suddenly turned very pale. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out, falling back onto the pillows.

Snape released him grip on Ron and rushed to Hermione's side as Harry and Ginny jumped out of the way. Ron looked concerned for a moment but then jealousy took over again as he watched Snape care for Hermione. Snape turned to face Ron again. "I don't know why I thought an imbecile like you could follow simple instructions," he said with a sneer. "She's ill and too much excitement makes it worse."

"I wasn't the only one yelling," Ron muttered childishly.

"Honestly Ron, she's sick," Harry said in exasperation.

"And you provoked her," Ginny added glaring at her older brother.

"It was those damn pictures," Ron said defensively.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Ron, go be stupid somewhere else," she said in frustration.

Harry chuckled a bit, earning himself a glare from Ron and Ginny. "What?" he asked innocently. "Come on. 'Go be stupid somewhere else'? You can't tell me that wasn't a bit funny."

Ginny shook her head. "Harry, you..." she stopped, unsure of how to comment. "Just go sit down Harry. Ron, you better go. We'll talk to you later."

Ron stormed from the room silently. Harry and Ginny walked back over to the bed and looked at Snape. "Is she ok?" Ginny asked quietly.

Snape looked up at them while uncorking a vial. "She'd be perfectly fine if you hadn't brought that twit with you," he said in irritation. He carefully poured the potion into Hermione's mouth. "What the bloody hell were they arguing about?"

Harry and Ginny exchanged a quick before Harry picked up the picture and handed it to Snape. Harry was stunned to see something in Snape's face seem to soften slightly when he looked at the picture. He gave Ginny a quick look and saw that she was trying hard not to smile.

Snape's mind went over all the shouting he had heard from the next room. He smirked when he realized that she had been been defending him to Weasley.

"We should go," Ginny said, tugging lightly on Harry's sleeve. "Could we come see her tomorrow?"

"You can see her after lunch as long as you don't bring that idiot," Snape said silkily.

Harry and Ginny nodded and quickly left the room. Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked back over at Hermione to see that she was stirring. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked up at his face. Her eyes filled with tears when she remembered how angry Ron had been.

"They're gone now," Snape said, unsure of how to handle a woman in tears. "Mr. Weasley will not be visiting you again while you're here."

A few tears slipped out of Hermione's eyes. "He was so angry with me," she whispered sadly. "He feels betrayed."

"By a photograph?" Snape asked raising an eyebrow at her.

Hermione blushed. "I told Ron that I only wanted to be friends, but then I went and danced with you. That made him jealous. And then he accused me of sleeping with you to help boost my grade in potions." Hermione's face turned even redder and she looked away.

"Don't concern yourself with Mr. Weasley's brainless rambling," Snape said rolling his eyes. He pulled another vial from his pocket and pulled out the cork. "This will help you relax," he said helping her drink it. Hermione gave him a little watery smile. Hesitantly, he reached out his hand and brushed the tears away from her face. She closed her eyes and gave a little contented sigh. When she opened her eyes, she saw a look of longing cross her features. She thought for a moment that her heart would stop when he leaned in toward her.

Snape closed his eyes and pressed his lips firmly against Hermione's, loving the way she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. She shivered when his tongue slowly entered her mouth. His hands went from her face down to her breasts, wanting to touch every inch of her. Her arousal mounted quickly and soon she was tugging on him, urging him to join her in the bed. Snape allowed her to guide him onto the bed before he froze suddenly. He broke away from the kiss and held her shoulders gently.

"This isn't a good idea," he said reluctantly.

Hermione's face fell and she said "I don't understand."

"Your condition," he reminded her. "It wouldn't be good for you to get too... excited," he said arching an eyebrow suggestively. Hermione nodded, but couldn't hide her disappointment. Snape slowly began to move away to get back off of the bed. "I'll let you get some sleep."

"Please don't leave," Hermione said quickly, grabbing his arm. "I want you to stay with me." Snape looked at her in surprise. Wordlessly, he nodded and left the room to change into some silky chocolate colored pants. He went back to the bed and lay down next to her. He looked at Hermione expectantly. She moved closer to him, gently pushing his arms out of the way so that she could snuggle against his chest. Still feeling slightly stunned, Snape wrapped his arms around her. She tilted her face to look at him and was greatly pleased when his lips met hers again. For several moments, he kissed her and caressed her body. His arousal was becoming more and more difficult to hide. Eventually, he pulled away from the kiss and rested his cheek on her forehead.

Hermione smiled slightly and said "Good night Professor Snape."

Snape couldn't help smiling. "I think, it would be foolish to insist upon calling me Professor given our current positions," he said silkily.

"Then good night Severus," Hermione said quietly.

"Good night Hermione," he replied, before holding her closer to himself and drifting off into a contented sleep.

_Nobody kill me yet. I promise there will be lots more action. Lots lots more... So, please don't hurt me. lol_

_**Humanity74:** I would have been greatly displeased as well if you had broke a spork on my behind as well. I think I'm started to understand what it's like to have slave driving reviewers. wink_

_**bootyful77:** I agree. More romance! More kisses._

_**Paranoid Sarcasm:** Yes, I do have low self-esteem. Not just about writing, but about most things. It was hard for me to begin writing this story in the first place because of it. But, your review maybe me feel a bit better. :) Thanks. Also, I bet fell out of my chair laughing when I read the last half of your review._

_**Coriel:** I do care about Ron's feelings, but he truly drives me crazy some times._

_**StrGzr974:** Yes, lots of HG/SS action to come. You know, that's the first time I've ever known of someone calling Snape a geek. It's kinda funny. lol Mmmm... Gummie worms! Haven't had those in a while. Thanks. :)_

_**dictionary-search:** I'm so glad you liked the fighting scene. I was quite concerned about it. Champagne does sound really good. _

_**Portkeys Miss-Mione:** I thought they needed some time alone too. Poor Hermione is having a tough time with Ron. I'm just full of surprises. :)_

_**ash:** You know, if Snape hadn't made that vow, Bellatrix would have just had her suspicions confirmed. I don't know, I just keep remembering that Dumbledore had some ironclad reason for feeling that Snape was above suspicion. He never did explain why he trusted Snape completely. Oh well. Maybe I just have really high hopes. I can dream. :) Yes, cliffhangers are so mean. Sorry about that._

_**herovillain:** I know, I know. More action! It's coming._

_**Alsnape:** Well, thanks for the kind review. I appreciate it. Yes, lots more kisses. I just love kisses._

_**LateNiteRomance:** Arrested by the cliffy police! My goodness. One reviewer threatened me with a spork, and now I should be arrested? The things I put up with. lol Yeah, I thought Ron's comment was a nice little touch. :)_

_**RangerBlack:** Yeah, the reviewer said that whoever said my story was funny was either lying or Luna Lovegood. I mean, how uncalled for. What's the point in that? It was a review from chapter 4 or 5 or something... Why would they bother even reading that far if they didn't like it? Duh. But, I'm glad you like it. :) Oh yeah, cool pen name._

_**cherbi161:** I would be happy to read your story. I don't know when I'll have time, but I promise that I'll go check it out asap. I'm glad you liked the chapters. I just suddenly found myself with some spare time, so I got some writing done. Unfortunately, I had so much time because my fiance has been working all day for the last 3 days. :( Oh well. _

_**latinachikita:** I always felt that way too. Ron doesn't seem like someone who would challenge her and make her think. That seems like something Hermione would want. The Snape Award! Yeah! I don't care if it's made up. That's so neat. At least I don't have to make a speech or anything. I'm giving you the Totally Awesome Reviewer Award. I made that up too._


	30. Visitors

_Disclaimer: I haven't said this in a while; I don't own any of this. I'm just having a great time with it. JKR still owns it. :(_

**Visitors**

Hermione woke up the next morning, momentarily wondering who was lying next to her. Her eyes flew open when she remembered that she was currently in Severus Snape's bed. To her surprise, he was already awake and simply looking down at her. She blushed and reached up, self-consciously, to smooth down her hair. "Good morning," she mumbled in embarrassment.

"Good morning," Snape replied smoothly, wondering if perhaps she regretted sleeping in his bed. He barely masked his surprise when she snuggled closer to his chest.

"I'm so glad there's no class today," Hermione said pulling back a little and admiring the bare chest of her potions professor. He was in better shape than she would have expected. Not making eye contact, she slowly ran her hands across the muscles on his chest and stomach, smiling when he shivered slightly.

Struggling to maintain his self-control, Snape got off of the bed and held out a hand to her. At her curious look, he said "We're going to walk around a bit to see if your health has returned to normal." He guided her to the edge of the bed, and waited as she stood up slowly.

Hermione grimaced as sharp pain shot through her head. Her eyes watered and she felt like her legs wouldn't support her for much longer. Her knees buckled and Snape quickly caught her in his arms. "What's wrong with me Professor?" she asked shakily.

"Severus," he corrected her with a little smirk. "You were hit by three stunning spells and you hit your head. That, on top of the fact that you passed out after that argument with Mr. Weasley. You need time to recuperate. That means more bed rest."

Hermione blushed. "I guess I don't really have a choice," she said quietly.

"Of course you don't," he said with another smirk. He had her lay back down and gave her another potion to take. "You're friends will be stopping by to see you after lunch today, so get some more rest. I will be grading papers in the next room." With that, he turned and left her alone. He was not looking forward to having a bunch of Gryffindors socializing in his private rooms. It didn't help that he was feeling quite angry with himself because of his lack of restraint where his apprentice was concerned. He'd have to work on that.

After lunch that day, Harry and Ginny arrived in the bedroom, followed by a rather grumpy looking Professor Snape. "Feeling better?" Ginny asked sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Pretty good," Hermione said with a little smile. "I'm still hurting, but I'll be ok."

"Ginny had a fit last night when we met up with Ron in the common room," Harry said shaking his head. "I'm sorry he reacted that way. It was a big shock for him. But, that's no excuse for being such a prat about it."

Before Hermione could comment, Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall walked into the room. "Wonderful to see you Miss Granger," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "You gave us all quite a fright, but I knew Severus would set you right."

"She's still weak Headmaster," Snape said scowling.

"And understandably so," Dumbledore said with a little nod. "We brought a few more visitors with us." Severus narrowed his eyes, and turned to see Remus, Tonks and Moody enter the room.

"Hermione!" Remus said happily. He approached the bed and embraced Hermione warmly. "We hadn't seen you since they left Hogsmead with you, so we thought we'd check up on you."

Moody stepped further into the room and looked over at Snape. "Keeping her in your room now Snape?" Moody asked, his gruff voice laced with amusement. "How very convenient."

Snape snarled and stepped away from the group and into the shadows. Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged grins and turned their attention back to Hermione. Tonks was currently smoothing out her robes after tripping over the chair that was sitting next to the bed.

"You should have seen it Hermione," Tonks said enthusiastically. "We thought you were a goner when those stunners hit you. I've never seen Professor Snape move that quickly before. He was on his knees beside you before I even realized what happened. After that, Harry got really aggressive. You would have been proud." She thumped Harry on the back, while he looked slightly embarrassed.

"I am proud," Hermione said flashing Harry a smile.

"And I suppose we should all thank Severus for coming to Miss Granger's aid so quickly," McGonagall said with a mischievous smile.

"That's right," Moody chimed in gruffly. "If he hadn't been paying such close attention to her, we might not have realized that she'd been hit." McGonagall gave a rather unladylike snort of laughter. Tonks appeared a bit confused by the comment and why McGonagall found it so funny. Harry and Ginny clapped their hands over their mouths, determined not to laugh or smile in Snape's presence. Remus was looking at the floor while Dumbledore suddenly became very interested in the ceiling. Hermione blushed crimson and remained silent.

Snape's face was white with rage, but he refused to comment on Moody's statement. Ginny, feeling sorry for Snape, suddenly decided to direct the conversation away from the angry potions professor. "So, what happens next? Surely, You-know-who hasn't just given up," she said.

Dumbledore looked at her for a moment and then said "We don't know of any other plans as of yet, but Professor Snape has assured has that Voldemort still intends to get Miss Granger."

"I suppose it's good that she'll be staying around here then," Harry reasoned. Tonks looked at him in confusion. "She's Professor Snape's apprentice, and she'll continue working with him after graduation," he explained. Tonks nodded in understanding.

The group enjoyed talking for a while before Dumbledore finally cleared his throat. "I think we should leave Miss Granger to her rest," he said giving her a kind smile. "Miss Granger, I'm so glad that you're recovering. Have a good night." With that, he turned and left the room. The others muttered their good-byes and left as well.

Finally alone with Snape once again, Hermione felt a blush creep up into her cheeks. She looked up at him to see that he was carrying another vial of potion toward her. "You should be feeling much better tomorrow," Snape said stiffly. He watched as she drank the potion obediently. He took the vial from her and set it on the nightstand.

Snape sat hesitantly on the edge of the bed. Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but quickly snapped it shut again. She felt so embarrassed. She sat up a little and looked up at his face with determination. "Are you going to stay with me tonight?" she asked. Once the words left her mouth, she flushed and looked down at her hands.

"If that is what you wish Miss Granger," Snape replied smoothly.

"I thought that we had agreed that you'd call me Hermione," she said with a shy smile.

"So, we did," he said, his lips turning upward slightly. He stood up and walked into the bathroom, returning moments later wearing only pair of cotton pants. They were such a dark green color that they almost looked black. Hermione watched his graceful movements as he approached the bed once again. She moved over a bit so he could climb into the bed next to her.

Hermione's heart rate quickened when she turned over to face the man next to her. He was gazing at her intently with an unreadable expression. Her breathing hitched when he reached out to take her into his arms, but she didn't hesitate to allow him to hold her close. She tipped her face up to his and was pleasantly surprised when he kissed her. She eagerly wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed against his mouth as his hand caressed her hip. He pulled away from the kiss to take a look at her. "How are you feeling Hermione?" he asked in a silky tone.

"Just fine Severus," she replied, smiling coyly at him. He responded by rolling her over onto her back and resting himself against her. For a moment, he merely looked at her face, as if memorizing her features. Silently, he began running his fingers through her curly hair. He lowered his face to hers again and kissed her. The passion in their kissed increased quickly. His hands wandered over her body, caressing and exploring. Hermione moaned with pleasure as he trailed kissed down her neck to her breasts. He moved the fabric of her shirt slightly to reach the warm flesh underneath.

Suddenly, Severus stopped and pulled away from her slightly. Hermione looked up at him in frustration. Why had he stopped when she had been so obviously enjoying it?

"We can't," Severus said, a little breathlessly. "You're still ill. I don't want to risk the chance of a relapse." He moved off of her, trying to ignore the way his body was rebelling against his decision.

Hermione sighed and nodded. She snuggled up against his chest and said "Good night then."

Stroking her hair slowly, he said "Good night Hermione."

The next day, Hermione was feeling well enough to go to her classes. She spent the day taking notes and completely ignoring Ron. She was still very hurt by the things he had said to her. Ron seemed to be ignoring her completely as well. Harry had disappeared during dinner saying that he was going to go have a little talk with Ron.

"Are you working with Professor Snape tonight?" Ginny asked as the girls left the Great Hall.

"No," Hermione said. "He said that I could have the evening to myself and we would work tomorrow. I suppose he doesn't want me to do to much today. I'm still not feeling completely like myself."

"Well, let's go to your room then," Ginny said cheerfully. "We could talk," she added with a little grin.

Once they were safely inside Hermione's room, Ginny wanted to know what happened at night when Hermione was alone with Professor Snape. Hermione blushed and told Ginny some of things that had occurred. Ginny looked gleeful. When there was a knock at the door, Ginny opened it, allowing Harry to enter.

"Hey Harry," Hermione said sitting down on her bed and smiling at him.

"Hermione was just telling me about the little snogging session she had with Professor Snape after we left yesterday," Ginny said grinning. Hermione blushed.

"Wow Hermione, that's pretty disgusting," Harry said in an overly cheerful sounding voice. Ginny and Hermione collapsed into fits of giggles. "I'm only joking Hermione," Harry said with a smile.

"No you're not," Hermione retorted.

"You're right," Harry said with a grin. "But, I did make you laugh, so you'll forgive me."

Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes, chuckling. A moment later, there was another knock at the door. "Who is it now?" Hermione asked looking over at her friends.

"I'll go and see," Ginny said getting up and going over to the door. When she opened it, she saw Ron standing there. "What do you want Ron?" she asked stiffly. Ginny was still furious with Ron for the way he had treated Hermione.

_"_I really need to talk to Hermione," Ron said, peeking into the room.

"Why?" Ginny said coolly. "Is it an emergency? Is your ass on fire?" She peered around him as if expected to see flames behind him. Behind her, Harry snorted with laughter while Hermione bit her lip to prevent herself from smiling.

"I just need to talk to her," Ron said.

Ginny stepped out of the way to let Ron in. He stepped into the room and the others just looked at him in silence. After a few moments he cleared his throat. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry," Ron said looking at Hermione. "I shouldn't have said those things to you. I was being a prat. I was mad and really shocked, but you didn't deserve that. I don't think I'll ever be happy about it, but you don't need my permission to do anything."

"Well, I see the chat with Harry worked," Ginny muttered.

Hermione smiled slightly. "Thanks Ron," she said.

"So," Ron said awkwardly, looking down at his feet. "Snape?" Hermione blushed while Ginny and Harry exchanged smirks. At least they weren't arguing.

_To those I didn't get a chance to reply to, I'm sorry. I was trying to post this as soon as possible. _

_I know you probably all want to kill me for the little scene with Severus and Hermione. Forgive me. It's coming. I promise. The time just wasn't right._

_**cherbi161:** Virtual brownies! Yeah! Thanks. I was so worried about that last chapter. I almost didn't post it. I was going to just rewrite the whole thing. I didn't know how my readers would react to him getting in bed with her and going to sleep without a sex scene. I had having computer problems. I hope that works out ok for you._

_**bootyful77:** I'm not pretending. I do truly care about my reviewers and I value their opinions and suggestions. Obviously, that includes you. lol I wanted to smack Ron in that last scene, and I was the one that wrote it._

_**Humanity74:** So you liked the silky chocolate pants? Mmm... Yummy. Yes, I think I prefer bare as well. My fiance has a bare chest and I just love it... So, that explains why I would lean that direction with that particular... ahem, aspect of Severus Snape. But, it's a plus that you agree. Don't worry, I won't push myself too much. I'm having fun, so that makes it easier to deal with the slave drivers. lol And yes, your strange reviews crack me up. _

_**SlytherinsDarkAngel07:** Yeah, the spork thing about made me die laughing. It seems that I've been laughing a lot lately. A pic of Severus... Sounds quite nice. winks I feel sorry for Ron too. He's liked Hermione for a long time, and he was really let down when she rejected him. But, he shouldn't have been such a... butt head about the whole thing. Then again, I made him do it, so it's not entirely his fault. lol_

_**Shdwcat27:** Well thank you. Really. I can't tell you how much such kind and encouraging reviews mean to me. We Southern girls have to stick together. grins You know, I usually write the way I talk and at first I had a hard time not typing "ya'll" in the dialogs. lol_

_**Chiccoree:** Thank you so much. You're so kind. And, yes, I understood you just fine. I was actually very shocked when you said English wasn't your first language. Which language is first? _

_**GoldenShadowfire33:** Oh no. I hope your stomach feels better. :( _

_**CapnSilver:** Yeah, I was just a little too happy to do some injury to Hermione. lol It's for a worthy cause. You know, I had absolutely no intention of making this story this long. Oh well. _

_**Candycanechild:** I didn't see your comment as negative. It was constructive criticism. I think I'll tweak that section a bit. I looked back at it, and I don't much care for how I worded it either. My beta needs to hurry up and come home. lol No, my fiance hasn't read it. He's not a big reader. I may have to talk him into it though. I'm just the tiniest bit proud of my work. :) _

_**Linthilde:** Thank you! You're so sweet. I will definitely check out your story. I love Jack Sparrow. :) _

_**StrGzr974:** I'm glad you liked the way I did Harry. I was afraid that people wouldn't care for him being used as comic relief in so many chapters. I think he can be really funny and I wanted to expand on that. I really love his character. _

_**Portkeys Miss-Mione:** A Hermione award too? Well, aren't I just a lucky girl? lol Thank you. _

_**dictionary-search:** Thanks, I may take you up on that offer. I'll have to see when my beta's coming home and I'll let you know. _

_**FireKidd:** Wow, you're a little scary. lol I laughed so hard reading your review. _

_**hopeless-romantic:** That's a cool name. :) So, the name Remus is in mythology? I'm not familiar with it. I can't even believe that. It's your real name? Wild! _

_**Paranoid Sarcasm:** Well, it sounds like you have a good time babysitting. You should feel cool. I love reading your reviews, and I think you're pretty cool, if that counts for anything._


	31. Pumpkin Juice Fountain

_This took a little while. I got stuck... It was difficult to write. But, I did it. Don't hurt me yet! Just please read it._

_Disclaimer: I still don't own this stuff. I wish I did. But, I don't. Oh well. I'm having a great time borrowing it._

**Pumpkin Juice Fountain**

The weeks flew by quickly and before they knew it, Harry, Ron and Hermione were facing their N.E.W.Ts. To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Hermione agonized over each of her subjects and then managed to get through each test with an ease that caused Harry and Ron much irritation.

During that time, Severus Snape had been rather withdrawn from Hermione. He had worked with her on many potions and allowed her to assist him during classes, but he refused to speak with her on anything even closely resembling a personal level. "I don't understand," Hermione said sadly to Ginny as they walked to the Great Hall for dinner. "He'll hardly even look at me." They sat down across from Harry and Ron. Ron was eating with so much enthusiasm that it seemed indecent, and Harry was watching him with mild interest.

"And you have no idea where you stand with him," Ginny added with a sympathetic look. "You'd think after spending two nights with him, the man would admit to having feelings for you and make some kind of commitment," she said in exasperation.

"You would think," Hermione said with a sigh.

Ron laughed, although he looked as if the topic made him nervous and slightly nauseous. "Well, you just want to have your cake and eat it too," he said with a slight smile.

Hermione's smile faded slightly as she looked at Ron with a raised eyebrow. "Honestly Ron, I don't know where you come up with such ridiculous things to say," she said.

"What?" Ron asked.

"What good is a cake if you can't eat it?" she said incredulously.

"Maybe you should eat Ron's cake instead," Harry snickered.

Ron's ears turned red and he said, "I just meant that you can't have everything you want. It has nothing to do with cake."

Ginny giggled. "Ron, I think they're joking," she said.

Ron grinned sheepishly. "So, how are things going with Snape?" he asked nervously.

Hermione looked at him sceptically for a moment. "Are you sure this is something you want to discuss?" she asked seriously.

"I'm trying to be supportive," Ron said, shifting uncomfortably.

Hermione smiled. "That's really nice Ron," Hermione began.

"But, you really don't want to know," Ginny said before Hermione could continue. Harry nodded fervently.

Ginny patted Hermione's arm sympathetically. "I don't know Hermione," she said. "Maybe he's just nervous about the whole thing. You never know what that man's thinking."

Hermione sighed and glanced shortly at the potions professor sitting at the head table. He appeared to be in a very sour mood, as usual. Professor Dumbledore had also apparently noticed a change in Snape.

"Severus, my boy, is something troubling you?" he asked peering at the younger man over his glasses. Severus merely sneered in reply. "I see," Dumbledore said with an understanding smile that only infuriated Snape even more. "You know, avoiding Miss Granger won't help."

Severus glanced down at the Gryffindor table where Hermione was sitting with Ginny. Hermione appeared to be unhappy and Ginny was apparently trying to cheer her up. He rolled his eyes when Ginny said something to Harry and Ron and then gestured to Hermione.

"Come on," Ginny said to Harry and Ron with a little smile. "You three only have a few days left at Hogwarts. We don't want Hermione to be sad when she has so little time left here."

Ron and Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, mate," Ron said to Harry with a sly smile, "We'll just have to do something to cheer her up."

"Right," Harry said with a nod.

"Not another spoon interview," Hermione groaned.

Harry laughed at the memory. "I had almost forgotten about that," he said grinning widely. "We could always try it with a fork," he said picking up his fork and causing Ron to look completely horrified. "Just kidding. We'll come up with something else."

Ron took a drink from his goblet of pumpkin juice, giving Harry an idea. Smiling wickedly, Harry pointed his wand covertly at Ron and muttered a charm. Suddenly, pumpkin juice came shooting out of Ron's nose. "Bloody hell!" Ron sputtered, wiping off his face. Harry, Hermione and Ginny snorted with laughter, drawing the attention of many others in the Great Hall.

"Harry, I'm not a bloody fountain," Ron growled in irritation.

"No, you're not" Harry admitted with a grin. "But, you do a damn good impression of one," he pronounced, causing Hermione and Ginny to giggle even more. "And look. You made Hermione laugh. It was for a worthy cause."

"I don't see why I had to be the source of entertainment today," Ron muttered.

"Easy target," Harry replied cheerfully, taking a bite of toast.

"Oh dear," Dumbledore said chuckling, watching the Gryffindors laugh and clean up the pumpkin juice that Ron had squirted all over the table. He glanced at Severus who was smirking slightly as he looked over at the Gryffindor table. "Her friends are trying very hard to cheer her up. But, I rather think that she would prefer to talk to you," Dumbledore said quietly. Severus looked back at Dumbledore silently and then shook his head, almost regretfully, before he got up and left the Great Hall.

After a few moments, Dumbledore turned to Professor McGonagall. "Minerva, I wonder if you might accompany me down to the dungeons a bit later?" he asked politely.

"Whatever for?" Minerva asked suspiciously.

"I thought it would be nice to observe Miss Granger's progress with Severus," Dumbledore said with a smile. "She is his apprentice, and I only wish to make sure things are going smoothly."

Minerva smiled slightly. "Of course, Albus," she replied.

That evening, Hermione and Severus stood in the potions classroom preparing ingredients for the Wolfsbane potion. "Do try not to destroy this potion," Severus bit out coldly. "I don't have the time or patience to start a new one."

"I won't destroy the potion," Hermione snapped. "I can read and follow directions just fine."

"Mind your tone," he said silkily. "We wouldn't the little know-it-all head girl to lose house points and receive detention."

Hermione put down the knife she had been using and turned to face him furiously. "You terrible man," she said with quiet fury. "I have done nothing to deserve this. I've never given you a reason to doubt my ability to brew potions."

"You will not talk to me with such disrespect," he snarled.

Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but she was interrupted by someone clearing their throat from the doorway. The pair whirled around to see Dumbledore and McGonagall standing in the doorway. "Is everything ok?" Dumbledore asked with a wide smile and twinkling eyes. He looked at Severus and said "Come now, I'm sure Miss Granger is completely capable of following your directions. After all, you taught her."

"I know what you're doing, and you can stop right now," Severus snarled angrily.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Dumbledore said with a grin.

"Of course you do," Severus replied. "Minerva had told you before that there would be no more matchmaking but, as usual, you didn't listen. You've been interfering since Christmas and Minerva's been helping."

Dumbledore put a hand to his chest and gave a pained expression. "Severus, you are mistaken," Dumbledore said. "I've only been encouraging a healthy relationship between you and your apprentice."

Severus glared at Dumbledore. "Think about it," Minerva said quickly. "The first sticking charm was the fault of Mr. Malfoy. The mistletoe was Fred Weasley's doing, although," she added guiltily, "we did quite enjoy the results of such a prank. I did cast one temporary sticking charm on you, but that was to stop an argument. From there, all that we have done is shamelessly enjoy watching the two of you grow closer. We didn't want to push you into anything, because we knew you'd be stubborn."

Severus let out a long breath and glanced at Hermione. Willing himself to sound civil, he said "Miss Granger, would you kindly go into the next room and gather the remaining ingredients."

"Yes sir," Hermione replied quietly. She left the room swiftly and silently.

The classroom was silent for several moments. "Severus, was that really necessary?" Dumbledore chided him gently. "She works very hard for you."

Severus snorted. "She works hard for everyone," he retorted.

"But, it's your approval that matters the most to her," Minerva said, folding her arms and scowling.

"Don't be ridiculous," Severus said, looking away.

"I don't understand why you're fighting," Minerva said, not realizing that she was raising her voice. "After all this time, I think it's time that you're honest with yourself and with her."

"What are you going on about?" Severus said irritably.

"You are the most impossible man!" Minerva exclaimed. "You can't fool us. I've seen you with her. I have seen the way you seem to be a better person when you've been around her. You enjoy life more. You love her." Severus lowered his head slightly, unable to say anything.

"Severus, don't hide from her," Minerva prodded gently. "We only want you to be happy. This has never been about our amusement." She smiled mischievously. "That was an added benefit."

"She's my student," Severus protested.

"Well, not really," Minerva said with a sly smile. "She's completed her N.E.W.Ts. She's just your apprentice now. You'll be colleagues in no time." She folded her arms and fell silent, hoping he would consider her words.

"We'll leave you to your work," Dumbledore said smiling. "We'll see you at breakfast tomorrow." He led Minerva from the room, leaving Severus to his thoughts.

Moments later, Hermione re-entered the room. She was carrying a basket that contained the ingredients she had gathered from the next room. She set the basket down without looking at him and awaited his instructions. Severus looked at her silently for a moment. Her eyes looked a bit watery but she was preparing her work area silently with a determined expression. He thought back to the cruel way he had spoken to her. He sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Perhaps we should talk," Severus said quietly. Hermione's hands stilled and she looked up at him anxiously. "I do not wish for our working environment to be unnecessarily uncomfortable. So, I think it's best that we resolved our differences and cleared up a few things."

Hermione swallowed and nodded. He motioned for her to work on the potion as he began adding ingredients to the cauldron. "Perhaps I should not have been so short with you before," he began stiffly. "Your skills with brewing potions have been... adequate," he said hesitantly, as if uncomfortable giving any sort of compliment.

"Thank you," Hermione murmured.

"I'm not accustomed to viewing you as anything other than a student," Severus said, not meeting her gaze. "The headmaster's interference has been rather disturbing to say the least." Hermione snorted with laughter. Severus added the ingredients swiftly and stirred the potion as he collected his thoughts. "Of course, there's no use in blaming him for everything. Minerva has been toying with me for months. Moody has been another source of harassment. Miss Weasley has made it clear that she can be as much of a nuisance as Minerva. Have I missed anyone?" he asked with a smirk.

"Well, there was Fred's little prank with the charmed mistletoe," Hermione said with a little smile. "Although, that wasn't really intended for us."

"Indeed," Severus said with a scowl.

Severus finally looked up to meet Hermione's eyes. She blushed and looked down at the table for a moment before looking back at him, startled that he had moved a bit closer. "So, what's to happen now?" she asked quietly.

Hesitantly, Severus reached up to touch Hermione's face. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand slightly. She looked at him again when he grasped her shoulders firmly. "You must understand that I am not a good man," he said forcefully. "I have a dark past. I've done terrible things. Evil things. I will never be like Albus Dumbledore. I have made far too many mistakes." He peered at her, determined to make her understand.

"But, you are a good man," she said quietly. "You made mistakes, but you've made an effort to make up for it. You've been spying for the Order. You've helped to protect Harry, Ron and myself despite your dislike for us." She smiled up at him a bit sadly. "You willingly go to those meetings and endure torture in order to come back and keep us informed on the Death Eater's activities and you risked your life to keep me safe in Hogsmeade. You've not given me a reason not to trust you. And I would never ask you to be Professor Dumbledore," she added with a grin.

Severus couldn't help smiling slightly. He was surprised that Hermione seemed to think so highly of him. He felt unsure of how to react. For a moment he just looked at her. Then, he turned back to the potion. "The potion is complete," he announced. The pair silently put the potion into vials and cleaned up their work area.

Hermione glanced nervously at the potions professor. He was looking at her with an unreadable expression. "You truly don't understand all that I have done," he informed her stiffly.

"I don't have to," she replied with a small smile. "What matters to me is the man you are now. The man you are now deserves respect as much as anyone else."

Severus looked at her silently, a bit stunned by her words. Her expression was so sincere. He marveled at the idea that someone that he had treated so terribly seemed to care about him. He leaned toward her and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. Hermione responded immediately and wrapped her arms around his neck. Severus broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. He let out a long breath while he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Perhaps I should escort you to your room now," he said with a slight smirk. Hermione smiled mischievously in response.

"You see, I told you," McGonagall whispered to Dumbledore as they peered through the door that they had conveniently left slightly ajar. "He just needed to be persuaded a bit."

Dumbledore chuckled softly. "Indeed," he said softly, taking a peek at the couple.

"They're coming!" McGonagall whispered urgently as Severus and Hermione neared the door. Dumbledore quickly pulled her with him into the shadows and cast a quick disillusionment charm. They grinned as the couple left the classroom and headed toward the head girl's room. "I wonder what will happen next," McGonagall said slyly.

"Perhaps an improvement is Severus' disposition tomorrow will let us know," Dumbledore said, chuckling again.

_Next chapter we'll see what happens when Snape takes Hermione to her room. Hmmm... Could be exciting. One anonymous reviewer compared my story to tantric sex... You get really close and then you back off. lol That's an interesting concept but I hope I'm not distressing all of you too much with my methods._

_**slytherinsess: ** You growled at me? Soon. I'm not trying to kill you._

_**latinachikita: ** I'm glad you agreed with me. Some of the other reviewers seem to be a tad frustrated. I don't blame them, but I want to have it just right._

_**Portkeys Miss-Mione: **He's not real confident about it, but I guess he just couldn't hold it back anymore. :) We can't complain about that. lol _

_**SlytherinsDarkAngel07: **ha ha. It's so funny to make guys listen to girl talk. You know, I hadn't thought of it that way. It is like having an imperius curse on all the characters. _

_**Dancing Pickle: ** You had a tv dinner for breakfast? Hmm... Well... Ok. No, I didn't mean to make that line rhyme. Ugh... I'm turning into Dr. Suess. _

_**CapnSilver: ** Oh, well don't choke. lol Your family will think that my story is hazardous to your health. _

_**bootyful77: ** I cracked up when I read what you wrote. The part about her going "Yes! Yes!" and then she dies. How much would that suck._

_**LateNiteRomance: ** Awww... I'm sorry your mad at me. :( I will do my best redeem myself. I'm glad you're gonna keep reading though._

_**seamermaiden: **Hmmm... Well, obviously Hermione didn't just stick around after she got well. However, don't think that situation is set in stone. Umm... Just keep reading. You'll see what happens as things progress. I think you'll like it. :)_

_**firebanshee:** Tease? Are you calling me a tease! lol_

_**Cherbi161: ** Ice cream! Yeah! I'm glad that you agree with my methods on this subject. I want to do it the right way. It will make it even better when we finally get to it._

_**Chicoree:** Oh. German is cool. I sang two songs in German recently... Widmung and Heiden Roslein. They're beautiful songs, and it's a fun language. _

_**Paranoid Sarcasm: **You are just too funny!_

_**Humanity74:** Wow. You must have been in a strange mood when you wrote that review. lol You had me laughing though._

_**RangerBlack: ** You're a Texan! How cool! I was born in Texas. That's where all of my family is. _

_**Walking Through Shadows:** Well, I'm trying to make it funny... But, sometimes I just get lucky. :)_

_**cheshireduck: ** I can't wait to see the pictures. I'm glad you like the story so much. It makes me feel really good._

_**MrsPadfootVerona: ** I'm so glad that you did read my story. As for my upcoming wedding... I'm absolutely positive that I've found my soul mate. He's everything to me and I wouldn't even trade him for Severus Snape. :) Thank you._

_**lakskmiXshree: **It probably is spelled Hogsmeade. I always make silly mistakes like that. My apologies. Thanks._


	32. A Night To Remember

_This chapter makes me a bit nervous. Nobody hurt me... Oh, and for those of you who don't know... My beta, **MysticSong1978**, is bloody fantastic! Just thought I'd let all of you know. lol_

_**Warning: **This chapter contains sexual content. If this offends you, perhaps you should not read it... You have been warned. Now, that I've got that little warning out of the way... Enjoy!_

**A Night To Remember**

Severus glanced apprehensively at the beautiful young witch at his side. Hermione looked a little nervous but fairly content allowing him to lead her to her private room. His hand rested softly on her lower back. "It's hard to believe that the term is over," she said suddenly, glancing at him.

"Indeed," Severus replied silkily. "Am I to assume that you are saddened that it's come to an end?"

"Not really," she replied thoughtfully. "I've enjoyed my time here, but I'm excited about moving on."

"You'll be remaining here to complete your apprenticeship," Severus said with a smirk. "You won't be moving on just yet."

"I meant moving on from my status as a student at Hogwarts," Hermione returned with a smile. The smile faded abruptly when she saw a familiar face in front of her. Draco Malfoy was standing in front of them, looking with slight surprise from Severus to Hermione. Severus discreetly removed his hand from Hermione's back.

"Hello Professor," Malfoy said before sneering at Hermione. "I was wondering if I could discuss the latest potions assignment with you in your office."

"Tomorrow perhaps," Severus said sleekly, a bit of a scowl marring his features. "The Headmaster requires me to escort Miss Granger back to her quarters each night. Then I shall be returning to my own quarters." He glared briefly at Hermione, as if he found her very presence to be offensive. Hermione ignored Severus and kept her icy gaze on Malfoy.

"Goodnight then, Professor," Malfoy said turning and going toward his own room.

When they were sure Malfoy was gone, Hermione and Severus continued down the hall. Severus glanced down at Hermione, slightly worried that perhaps she was offended by the manner in which he had glared at her. He knew he could not appear to be on friendly terms with her in front of Malfoy. To his relief, Hermione seemed to be unfazed by all of it. She smiled shyly at him and led him right to her room

Hermione walked through the door and stopped, watching nervously as Severus entered the room. He looked about at his surroundings for a moment, smirking at the obviously Gryffindor room. After a moment, he turned his attention back to Hermione. She was chewing her lower lip nervously and wringing her hands. Holding in an amused chuckle, Severus reached over and grasped her hands firmly in his. He pulled her toward himself and released her hands in order to place his on either side of her face. He brushed her lips with a gentle kiss. He pulled back for a moment to see her reaction. He smirked when Hermione pouted a little. "Don't tell me you're going to stop already," she said softly, her eyes twinkling playfully.

"Only if you ask me to," Severus replied as he leaned forward to trail kisses down her neck. "And even then you might have to beg." His comment caused Hermione to giggle softly and squirm under his gentle kisses on her neck. "Stop moving so much," he growled, holding her tightly against body.

Hermione laughed. "I'm trying," she protested. "You're making it a bit difficult."

"Allow me to help," Severus said silkily. He swiftly moved her backward onto her bed, and used his weight to pin her down. Hermione stopped laughing abruptly and looked up into the face of the potions professor. For a moment, he looked rather unsure of himself, but she smiled gently and lifted her head to kiss him once more. His expression relaxed slightly and ran his hands across her small waist and rounded hips, kissing her with growing passion.

Hermione brought her hands to his chest and caressed him through the fabric of his teaching robes. "I do believe these are in the way," she said coyly. With a sly smile, she began undoing the buttons to remove the offending garment. At the same time, Severus began lifting Hermione's shirt. Once she had finished with his buttons, he pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it over his shoulder onto the floor.

The couple kissed and caressed each other, enjoying the contact and relieved that they had progressed so far without interruption. As if they were suddenly afraid of some outside interference, their kisses became more heated. Severus pressed his lips against Hermione's while he slowly removed the rest of her clothing. Hermione blushed at being so exposed to her professor. Severus let his eyes wander over the young woman's body. "Perfect," he muttered burying his face against her hair. He groaned as her hands drifted down to his trousers. He held his breath as her delicate fingers undid the button and lowered the zipper. Severus assisted her in removing the pants and his boxers, which were dark green, much to Hermione's amusement.

Hermione's gaze strayed to the potions professor's erection. She flushed and quickly raised her eyes to look at his face. "You are innocent," he said quietly, slightly surprised. "I didn't realize..." he trailed off. He turned from her and started to move away.

She grasped his arms firmly. "Don't go," she entreated him. Her warm brown eyes sought his out. "Allow me to decide if I am ready for this," she said, gently sliding her hands up to his shoulders, enjoying the way he shivered slightly under her touch.

Severus lowered his face to hers again. He trailed his long fingers down her body slowly, pleased when Hermione blushed and shivered slightly. He brought his hand up to her full breasts, causing her let out a soft gasp. Severus gently kneaded her breasts as he placed tender kisses across her forehead and cheeks. Moving down, he trailed more kisses down her neck to her chest. Hermione moaned softly as he brushed his tongue against her nipple. Severus took the little bud into his mouth and smirked slightly as he felt Hermione running her hands through his hair and breathing deeply, obviously enjoying his attentions. His hands slid down her body to her warm center. She jumped slightly at the new sensation. "Relax," Severus whispered huskily. "I promise you'll enjoy this." He smiled when he felt her relax under his hands.

Never had Hermione ever been so aroused. He continued to pleasure her with what seemed to be the patience of a saint. He took his time and soon brought her to a point where she just couldn't stand it anymore. Severus finally positioned himself over her and hesitated, watching her face. She nodded slightly and gave him a radiant smile. Ever so slowly, he pushed himself into her, pausing as she grimaced in pain. Once he was inside of her, he waited while she adjusted to the new sensations.

Hermione panted and squeezed her eyes shut against the sharp burning pain that was shooting through her lower abdomen. "Are you ok?" Severus asked through his ragged breathing.

"I'm fine," she gasped. "Just... wait a moment." Severus simply leaned forward and kissed her temple. He waited while her breathing slowed and she relaxed. "My goodness, I wasn't expecting that," Hermione said a little breathlessly.

Severus kissed her softly and slowly began to move his hips against hers. Hermione grimaced slightly and bit her lip. Severus paused. "Do you wish for me to stop?" he asked her quietly.

"No!" Hermione said quickly. "No, I want this." She reassured him with a gentle kiss, causing him to smile slightly.

Severus moved slowly and gently, not wanting to cause her pain. His hands roamed across her breasts and down her hips, caressing and stroking. Gradually, the pain decreased. It still hurt, but Hermione was also feeling many wonderful sensations pulsating through her body. Hermione sighed causing Severus to smirk. "No objections?" he asked in a low, seductive tone.

"None," Hermione replied softly, arching her back and pressing herself closer to his chest. Finally, Hermione cried out in ecstasy at the same time that Severus shuddered at his release. Hermione let out a shaky breath. She looked at Severus, enjoying the way his brow was damp with perspiration. His ragged breathing made her smile.

With a little sigh of satisfaction, Severus rolled off of Hermione and rested next to her, allowing her to snuggle into his chest. For several long moments, he simply ran his fingers through her hair, feeling content to have her resting against him. He looked down at her face and smiled when he saw that she had drifted off to sleep. Severus allowed himself to relax and fell asleep with his beautiful young apprentice in his arms.

Severus woke up early the next morning. Hermione was still sleeping peacefully. Severus frowned thoughtfully. What had possessed him to allow things to go that far? A small reluctant smile played on his lips. That had definitely been a night to remember and he could not quite convince himself that he should regret it. She had, most certainly, been willing. Minerva and Albus would, no doubt, be thrilled.

Severus carefully leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Herminoe's forehead before he slipped from the bed and dressed himself quickly. He cast one last glance at Hermione before he left the bedroom silently. He walked through the halls and toward his private rooms. He was stunned to see Albus and Minerva walking toward him. "What are you doing down here?" Severus demanded suspiciously.

"Uh," Minerva stammered. "Well... We were looking for you."

"What for?" Severus asked, folding his arms over his chest and arching an eyebrow.

Albus and Minerva glanced at each other guiltily. "We were just curious, about how things went with Miss Granger," Minerva said carefully. "We thought that perhaps you had been in your chambers, but obviously you spent the night away from your room." She grinned mischievously

"Now Minerva," Albus said chuckling. "We don't know that. Perhaps Severus was merely taking an early morning walk." They looked over at Severus to see him shift his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably.

"No, I think we do know that," Minerva retorted with a smirk.

"I am afraid I do not know what you mean," Severus drawled stubbornly.

McGonagall rolled her eyes impatiently. "Honestly, Severus. I don't know who you think you're fooling," she said chuckling. Dumbledore grinned and folded his arms over his chest.

"Oh fine!" Severus snapped. "What do you want me to say?"

"You need not say anything Severus," Dumbledore chortled. "But, denial is simply ridiculous."

Severus growled and folded his arms. McGonagall clapped her hands together gleefully. "Where is Miss Granger this lovely morning?" she asked unable to stop her smile.

"Sleeping," Severus muttered uncomfortably.

"You didn't just leave did you?" McGonagall asked, concern creasing her brow.

"Well, yes," Severus replied rolling his eyes. "I didn't want to wake her. What did you expect me to do?"

McGonagall looked at Severus as if she thought he was quite mad. "You don't just leave!" she cried out incredulously.

"Why do you care so much?" Severus asked. "She is a student and my apprentice," Severus said quietly through gritted teeth.

"She's not your student!" McGonagall exclaimed. "Don't be daft. We've already clarified that. As for the apprenticeship, we know that you wouldn't allow a relationship with her to interfere with your work. You're both far too dedicated for that. We want you to be happy Severus. That's why we care so much."

"We only ask for you to use discretion," Dumbledore added kindly. "We wouldn't want the two of you to be a topic of discussion for the students." Severus sighed, but said nothing.

"It probably wasn't wise to just leave," McGonagall said thoughtfully. "Miss Granger may be upset about that. Be sure to talk to her. Just leaving her will make her feel like you used her."

Severus looked more pale than usual, but he nodded. "Perhaps after breakfast," he said gruffly. He rose from the chair, nodded to Dumbledore and McGonagall, and went into his private chambers.

"That man is just so determined not to seem as if he's gone soft," Minerva grumbled as she turned to go toward the Great Hall. Dumbledore chuckled and followed her.

_Mmmm... Yummy stuff! I hope it was ok._

_**SlytherinsDarkAngel07:** A Snape doll! I've always wanted one! I think I'll take it to bed with me. grins mischievously_

_**Wiily:** Well thank you. I have my own signature style. : ) Severus wouldn't just jump into something with his student. Plus, she is a Gryffindor. He needed a little push. Well, maybe a shove. lol_

_**MsPadfootVerona:** I hope this chapter was to your liking. You'd trade your "special person" for Snape? lol I had a friend that would tell me that she'd leave her husband for Alan Rickman. It cracks me up. Yes, my fiance is amazing. I couldn't have asked for more. He's also my high school sweetheart and my first love. blushes_

_**Humanity74:** Another Texan! Yeah! I know, I get excited about the dumbest stuff. Hey! Are you calling me a weirdo! Cause, if you are, you know me better than I thought. lol When you wrote about not being a light switch I had to leave the room for a minute. I was cracking up!_

_**RangerBlack:** A classic car Peelout and Cruise? That sounds interesting. How did it go?_

_**Alonea Metallium:** Well, so many of us are from Texas. I was born in Pampa, about an hour from Amarillo. You know, I kind of enjoy being a tease. lol_

_**LateNiteRomance:** I read your story and I enjoyed it. Good job. I think it'll be great! And once again, thank you for reading mine. _

_**seamermaiden:** This isn't written out ahead of time. I have mapped out the plot line and I make an outline for each chapter, so I know exactly where it's going. But, the chapters themselves are written right before I post them... Of course, it takes a little while and I sometimes have to just do a little at a time. But, as soon as I finish it's sent to my beta. After she sends it back, I post it. Is that bad?_

_**ProfessorJaySnape:** Yes, I'm plotting out a sequel. It's gonna be so much fun._

_**bootyful77:** Ummm... Yeah, pumpkin juice sounds quite disgusting. I've never tried it, but I don't really care to. Don't worry, you'll find your soul mate. Just don't rush it, because that's probably one of the worst things to do. The wedding planning is tough... I'm kinda neurotic anyway so getting everything set up just right gets frustrating. But, at the same time, it's unbelievably exciting. The wedding is October 29th. If you have other questions or would like to see a picture, just send me an e-mail... My address is on my profile. I have an adorable picture of me and my fiance. _

_**StrGzr974:** I'm glad you like my Harry. I think he's kinda funny, so I thought I'd expand on that. I'm happy that it worked out ok._

_**ConciaJames:** Another one from Texas! Neato! lol You would marry my story if it were a man? lol Hey, me too. Well... Maybe. That might make my fiance mad._

_**Paranoid Sarcasm:** I can't believe you said that either. lol Yes, I think you're funny. Don't pull all of your hair out. You'd sunburn your scalp._

_**Mary:** Hmm... Well, I'm glad that it meant so much to you. The tantric sex thing really did crack me up._

_**trixie-pixie-luvzhp-106:** You know, there might be a little AD/MM thing going on... The relationship has just sort of developed on it's own. I didn't purposely create that. Perhaps I should take that into consideration and edit some of my future chapter plans. I'm sorry you've been bored._

_**Peyton Mariegun:** Let's see... How do I come up with this stuff? Honestly, some of it was inspired by my own life. The other stuff... Well, I'm just quirky. lol_


	33. A Walk On The Grounds

_I'm sorry it took me so long to update. It's not over just yet, but we're so very close. And yes, I'm still plotting a sequel. Let me know what you think of this chapter._

_To my beta, **MysticSong1978**: Without you, my life would suck. Well, maybe not, but I hope you know that I appreciate you more than you'll ever know._

**A Walk On The Grounds**

Hermione's eyes fluttered open as the sunlight streamed into her room through the window. She stretched and sat up slowly, wincing as she did so. She felt rather sore and her hips protested with every move she made. Her eyes widened suddenly and she looked around the room, realizing that she was alone. She sighed as her eyes fell on the empty spot on her bed were Severus Snape had been.

Hermione walked into the Great Hall, unsure of how she should be feeling. She had greatly enjoyed last night with Severus, but waking up to an empty bed made her stomach feel as if it were full of lead. She sat down next to Ginny, unable to hold down the soft groan that escaped her lips as her pain seared through her hips again. "Good morning," she muttered, glancing briefly at Ginny and then at Harry and Ron.

"You don't sound as if you think it's a good morning," Ginny said with a concerned expression. "Are you ok?"

"I'm just fine," Hermione replied, forcing a smile onto her face. Ginny folded her arms over her chest and gave Hermione a pointed glare. "All right," Hermione said quietly, casting a nervous glance at Harry and Ron. They didn't seem to be paying any attention to the girls. "I'm a bit sore," she whispered.

"Sore?" Ginny asked suspiciously. "What have you been doing?"

Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat, instantly regretting the movement, and wincing in pain. "Where exactly are you hurting?" Ginny asked her, a smile starting to creep onto her face.

"My hips," Hermione muttered. To her dismay, Ginny face lit up with a big smile. "Don't start Ginny," she warned, shaking her head.

"You did!" Ginny exclaimed in excitement. Hermione looked startled and quickly looked around, afraid of other people getting curious. "Oh my goodness," Ginny said breathlessly, lowering her voice a bit. "How was it? I need to hear every detail."

"Ginny!" Hermione chided the red head. "This is no place for that particular discussion. That we can talk about later. However, I will say that he left before I woke up." Hermione looked down at her plate and took a bite of toast. She chewed it slowly and then forced herself to swallow as her eyes started to fill with tears.

"He just left?" Ginny asked in surprise. She glanced up at the head table to where Professor Snape was sitting. To her eyes, he looked a bit tired and anxious about something. "Don't worry Hermione," she said laying a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sure he'll talk to you. Perhaps he was just feeling a bit awkward. It'll be fine. Give him some time."

Hermione nodded. She turned her eyes to the head table and was surprised when Severus met her gaze. Quite suddenly, she saw him grimace and clutch his forearm. He stood up swiftly, muttering to Dumbledore. Then, he swept out of the Great Hall in a swirl of ominous black robes. Hermione's breath caught in her throat and she turned to look at Ginny. "He's being summoned," Hermione whispered. Ginny merely patted her hand, offering silent support.

"Albus, perhaps I should go and speak with Miss Granger," McGonagall said, folding her hands primly in her lap. She was sitting in front of Dumbledore's desk. She had met him in his office not long after Severus had left the school.

"Now, Minerva," Dumbledore said. "Don't you think that should be left up to Severus?"

"He's not here," Minerva protested. "He got up and left her alone. Then he was summoned. I saw her at breakfast. She's upset and confused." She gave Albus a pleading look. "I don't want her to feel used. She is a wonderful young woman and she shouldn't have to feel that way. Besides, if she's upset with Severus, this could cause damage to their relationship."

Albus looked thoughtful for a few moments. "Very well," Albus said with a smile. "I imagine that Miss Granger could use some reassurance at this time. The look on her face when he was summoned during breakfast..." he trailed off shaking his head remorsefully.

Hermione moved about her room packing up her belongings. It was just after dinner and everyone would be on his or her way home tomorrow. She placed her books in her trunk and then sat down gingerly on her bed, letting out a heavy sigh. Severus still hadn't returned. She had no idea when he would either. She bit her lip thoughtfully, hoping he would return before the Hogwarts Express left the next morning. A knock on the door drew her out of her thoughts. She walked to the door a bit stiffly and opened it carefully, peaking through the opening. She was relieved to see Professor McGonagall. "Is something wrong?" Hermione asked, looking at her with concern filled eyes.

"No," McGonagall said soothingly. "I just thought we'd have a little talk, you and I. Perhaps you'd join me for a walk." She smiled kindly at the young woman.

"I'd like that," Hermione replied quietly. She took her wand and put it in her pocket before walking out of the room and closing the door behind her. She allowed McGonagall to lead her through the building and out onto the grounds of the school. Hermione took a deep breath of the warm air that gently caressed her face.

The two women walked at leisurely pace, neither speaking for several long moments. Finally, Minerva cast Hermione an anxious look before saying "I spoke with Severus today." Hermione froze and her eyes darted to McGonagall's face. "It's all right Miss Granger," McGonagall said quickly, smiling kindly and placing a comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder. "I'm not angry with you. If anything, I would be angry with Severus. Nevertheless, I am not. You are an adult and you are, officially, no longer a student. You seem to make Severus happy, which is even better."

Hermione smiled slightly, but it quickly turned into a worried frown when she remembered that he had left her alone that morning. McGonagall noticed Hermione's expression and stopped walking so she could look Hermione in the eye. "Don't be angry with him," McGonagall said gently. "Men can sometimes be about as sensitive as a wooden post. It never occurred to him that he could simply stay with you until you woke up."

Hermione gazed uncertainly at Professor McGonagall. Perhaps he had simply left because he didn't know better. Maybe he did truly care for her. The thought seemed to loosen the knot in her stomach. It was certainly odd to be discussing such things with Professor McGonagall. She gave McGonagall a nervous smile, causing the older woman to grin.

The two women continued to walk, watching the sun set and discussing Hermione's apprenticeship and career plans. They walked near the edge of the forest and near Hagrid's hut. Suddenly, they heard something approaching from the forest. They could hear leaves rustling and twigs snapping. Hermione and McGonagall exchanged startled look. They silently drew their wands and crept to a large nearby tree. Hermione peered carefully around the tree, her heart pounding in her chest. She could see a dark shape gliding its way toward them. Her breath caught in her throat and she lifted her wand, preparing to protect herself from whatever was approaching.

She could feel McGonagall fidgeting behind her, nervously peeking around the tree from the other side. McGonagall moved her face so it was only inches from Hermione's. "We'll hex it into oblivion, whatever it is," McGonagall whispered nervously. Hermione nodded silently, alarmed by Professor McGonagall's obvious fear.

Hermione's grip on her wand tightened as the ominous figure moved closer. She let out a loud gasp as the figure stepped into the light. She immediately recognized the black hair and robes.

"Severus," she said with relief, clutching at her chest as her fear subsided.

"Hex him anyway!" McGonagall exclaimed, "He scared me to death!"

Severus fixed McGonagall with an amused look. Hermione snorted with laughter. "Really Minerva," Severus drawled. "Is that any way to talk? What are you two doing out here?"

"Taking a walk and talking about daft men," McGonagall replied slyly. Severus turned his gaze to Hermione, noticing her blush and look down at her hands. "What happened tonight Severus?" McGonagall asked.

"Well, that's something that we need to discuss with the Headmaster," Severus replied. "Shall we?" He gestured toward the castle and led the two women away from the forest. Hermione and McGonagall exchanged smiles and walked along beside the potions master. Hermione observed him silently as she walked. He didn't appear to be injured, but he looked exhausted and he was wearing a thoughtful frown.

When the group had finally arrived in the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore gave Severus a slightly relieved smile. "It's wonderful to see that you've returned," Dumbledore said happily. "And you've brought two lovely ladies along with you. Please sit and you can fill me in on what occurred today."

Minerva, Severus and Hermione sat down in the chairs near the desk. Hermione winced as she sat, grateful that the others didn't seem to notice her discomfort. "Albus, the Dark Lord is still angry that he has not yet obtained Miss Granger," Severus said with a weary sigh. "He knows that she is well protected, but he also is aware of the fact that she will be working closely with me," he said shifting uncomfortably. "He knows about Miss Granger's apprenticeship because of young Mr. Malfoy. The Dark Lord questioned me about whether or not Miss Granger trusts me."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "And what has this led you to believe?" he asked carefully.

Severus hesitated shortly, glancing at Hermione. "I believe he is going to request for me to stay close to Miss Granger, in order for me to gain her trust and admiration."

Dumbledore smiled. "Now, that won't be difficult," he said, a playful twinkle in his eye. "We'll just have to keep track of his plans and make sure that Miss Granger is escorted as often as we can manage it."

"I suppose that will be a job for Potter, the boy-who-lived-to-converse-with-flatware," Severus said dryly, rolling his eyes. Hermione giggled at the comment, remembering the incident where Harry had tried to interview her with a spoon. She smiled thinking that it seemed to have happened so long ago.

"Actually," Dumbledore said with a grin, "I was thinking that would be the perfect job for you, Severus. She'll be spending most of her time with you anyway, and you're getting along so well. Watch over her. I know you will do everything you can to keep her safe. We'll take further action when Tom makes his plans a little clearer."

"Yes Headmaster," Severus replied, inclining his head politely.

"Well," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Now that we have that settled, I believe I will retire for the night."

They all rose from their cheers and bid each other a good night. Minerva, Severus and Hermione left the office together and started walking down the hall. "I will leave you here," Minerva said, resting her hand on Hermione's shoulder. She leaned forward close to Hermione's face. "He loves you," she whispered in the young witch's ear, although she was, truthfully, just loud enough for Severus to hear. "Don't let him tell you otherwise."

Hermione's eyes widened as the older woman promptly turned and walked away from them without another word. Hermione's brown eyes landed on Severus and he simply looked back at her silently. She had no idea what to say. Could it be true? She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again. Fumbling for words she stammered "D-Do you...?" She was unable to finish the question, and her face flushed crimson.

"You know I do," Severus said quietly, answering her unspoken question. "You don't even have to ask." He moved toward her slowly and hesitantly, as if he was afraid she would run from him. His stomach clenched painfully as he saw her beautiful brown eyes fill with tears. She stepped into his open arms and allowed him to hold her to his chest. "Why are you crying?" he asked her, tipping her face up so he could see her better.

"I was so afraid," she said tearfully. "You just left, and I just didn't know what to think."

"I'm afraid that I wasn't aware that I should stay," he said in an apologetic voice. "Now, that I know, I won't make that mistake again. Let's get out of this hallway," he said leading her down the hall, toward her room.

Arriving in Hermione's room, Severus immediately took her in his arms. He felt such an overwhelming need to be near her, to touch her. He moved away slightly and placed his hands on the sides of her face. He kissed her lips tenderly. He couldn't help smiling when Hermione gave a little sigh. He guided her to her bed and had her lay down next to him.

Hermione brought her hands up to unbutton his robes. She was shocked when he grasped her hands in his. "We don't have to do this," he told her quietly, looking into her eyes. She arched an eyebrow at him in surprise. "I know that you were hurt when I left after last night. I need you to know that I was not using you. It would be fine if you just wanted to lay here next to me. I'm also aware that you are still a bit sore."

Hermione smiled into his face. "You know, that's really very sweet," she said to him. "However, all this kindness coming from you is rather strange." She gave him an impish grin.

"Kindness is rare for me," Severus replied with a smirk. "Do not get used to it." Even as he said it, he was caressing her face gently.

Hermione laughed softly. "Of course not," she muttered, scooting closer to him on the bed. She reached over to remove his robes, but was promptly interrupted by a knock at the door.

Severus growled in frustration causing Hermione to chuckle. Hermione hopped off the bed and went to the door. When Severus had gotten off the bed as well, and had readjusted his clothing, she opened the door.

"Hey Hermione!" Ginny said from the doorway. "I wanted to check on you. You were so upset with Professor Snape earlier..." She trailed off and her eyes widened in surprise when she noticed the Professor Snape was standing in the room. He had his arms folded over his chest and he was watching her with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh!" Ginny exclaimed, looking from Hermione to Snape. "Well... I guess you're not upset with him anymore," she said with a wide smile. "I do hope I haven't interrupted anything." Severus scowled, causing Ginny to giggle. "I take that to mean that I have." Severus scowled even more.

Hermione clapped her hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing. Struggling to keep her expression serious, she said, "What can I do for you Ginny?"

"I was just stopping in for a visit," Ginny replied, stepping into the room, much to Severus' discomfort. "Am I to assume that you're feeling better?" she asked Hermione. Hermione grinned and nodded. Ginny then turned to Severus. "I'm so happy to see that you've returned safely Professor Snape. I know Hermione's happy about that. Harry and Ron just couldn't figure out what was wrong with her today. I thought it best not to explain everything to them just yet. At breakfast, she acted as if it pained her to move. And then, she was just so worried after you were summoned." Ginny gave a little sigh. "It's so nice to see her feeling so much better."

"Indeed," Severus said silkily, looking at Hermione with a slightly amused expression. Turning to Ginny, he said, "Miss Weasley, I must say that you are as meddlesome as the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall. Do you have a reason for standing here, wasting our time with your incessant chatter?" he asked with a sneer.

"In a hurry to be alone?" Ginny asked with what she hoped was an innocent tone. She was rewarded with another growl from Severus. "I better be going," she said cheerfully, winking at Hermione. "I'll see you in the morning," she called over her shoulder as she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Hermione burst into a fit of laughter as soon as she was alone with Severus again. Severus looked irritated for a moment, but then his lips curled up into a small, reluctant smile. "Your friends are ridiculous," he muttered stepping a bit closer to her.

Hermione giggled and stepped into his embrace. "I suppose I could say the same for yours," she retorted.

Severus sighed and allowed her to lead him back to the comfort of her bed. He held Hermione close to his body and pressed gentle kisses onto her neck. She sighed contentedly and allowed him to undress her slowly. He then undressed himself and lay down next to her. Severus pulled Hermione closer and let her rest her head on his chest. He traced slow circles on her back with his fingertips until she drifted off to sleep. He smiled slightly and hugged her closer, allowing slumber to overtake him.

_**Nattie88: ** I was worried because I've never written a sex scene before... This was new territory for me._

_**Paranoid Sarcasm: ** I understand about having a sunburned scalp. I have long thick hair, but I burn my scalp every year right where I part my hair. Man, does that ever hurt! You know, I didn't even think about protection. blush See how responsible I am? lol Maybe Snape muttered a little spell just before going to sleep. That'll work. I read the e-mail you sent and discussed it with my beta. I'm not too worried about it. If they want to boot my story, I'll just repost the whole thing. By the way, you're e-mail address was fine. :) _

_**cherbi161: **Yes, he was very loving and caring... Don't worry, he's still himself. He'll confirm that fact in the next chapter. Mmmm... Cheesecake!_

_**sexiprincess1228: ** I'm glad it wasn't trashy. I was so afraid of that. I didn't just want smut. I'm into the "it's just sex" thing. I prefer "making love". I think every girl deserves a guy that wants to make love rather "screw". That's my little speech for the day. lol_

_**LateNiteRomance: ** You're from Texas too! Wow. Texans everywhere. lol Not that I mind. I think it's kinda cool. "Did the deed". chuckles I had so many people write and say "Finally!" I guess 32 chapters was a long time to wait for a sex scene._

_**Humanity74: ** What a coincidence! I think you're a perv too! giggles I'm just kidding. That was a lot of sexual tension. It was such a relief to finally post that. A "nekkid sev pic"? You mean... like a drawing or... what? You've peaked my interest. I guess that makes me a perv too. lol_

_**bootyful77: ** Yeah yeah... You know you got all turned on. lol (I'm joking.) I'm glad you liked it._

_**MsPadfootVerona: **Alan Rickman does have a really sexy voice. sigh I just love it. So yummy. Yes, my fiance was my first love. Whenever someone asks about the relationship my best friend looks at me and says "Ok, you've got to tell the whole story." lol It's really sweet._

_**Portkeys Miss-Mione:** I'm glad you liked it so much. I was sweatin' bullets when I posted that one. (Now that's an attractive lady-like image. lol) I was so afraid that you guys wouldn't approve of it._

_**SilverAngel99: **Yes, I saw that review from "You dire pedofile!" At first, I was a bit offended... I mean, my goodness it was mean. But, then as I read it, I found it kind of funny. It was really long. This sad person obviously has no life. Plus they used all these complicated words that all basically mean the same thing... Which tells me that this person is either a big nerd or writes with a thesaurus in his/her lap. Having said this, I must say that I ended up laughing at the ridiculous nature of the review. Some people just need to get a life. "Burning Boils"? I haven't seen that story... I may have to check it out. :)_

_**Obi-wan's lover: ** Did you call me dude? lol I didn't even really notice any development with AD/MM... lol Well, I guess that just gives me more to work with._

_**BlackRanger: ** Well, I'm glad you had fun despite the rain. Don't worry, I'll tell you guys the title of the sequel when I post the final chapter of this one. I'll also be going back and brushing up some of the older chapters of this story... You know, make improvements now that I've gotten back into the swing of things._

_**Yusagi: ** I couldn't believe you actually reviewed nearly every chapter. It was nice. Thank you for the taking the time to do so. I'm glad you're enjoying it._

_**MadAnge: **You're getting married too! Cool. Congratulations. Coming up soon isn't it. It's a bit scary. I think I have just 9 weeks to go. _

_**madam loon: ** Oooo... Bloody mess. I hope you healed ok from the stabbing fit. lol_

_**supafly09: **You think someone copied my story! That sucks. I hope not. _


	34. Last Ride On The Hogwarts Express

_Here we go... Last chapter. Hope you like it. I've included the title of the sequel at the end like I promised. _

**Last Ride On The Hogwarts Express**

Severus lay awake early the next morning, watching Hermione's face as she continued to sleep. He raised a hand that, to his dismay, was a bit shaky, to touch her face. Waking up in the beautiful young witch's arms was comforting. He could hardly believe that she could care for him. Severus noticed that around her neck was the gold necklace that he had given her at Christmas. His long fingers stroked the delicate chain gently. It seemed so long ago, and at a time when he was still denying that he cared for her.

He smiled slightly when Hermione's eyes opened slowly. She simply gazed at Severus for a moment before she flashed him a sweet smile. He kissed her softly, and was pleasantly surprised when she returned it enthusiastically. Realizing that they were still undressed, Severus covered her body with his and kissed her neck. Hermione giggled softly. "Now, that's what I call a 'good morning'," she said running her hands down his back. Severus chuckled, but the sound was muffled slightly since his face was still against her neck.

Severus caressed Hermione's body gently, smirking as her breathing hitched. Her face was flushed and her skin was so warm under his skilful hands. He finally whispered a contraceptive charm and pushed himself into her, sighing at the intense pleasure. Moving slowly, he gently thrust in and out of her, watching her face to monitor her reaction. She still seemed to feel some discomfort, but she appeared to be enjoying herself. When she climaxed, he held her close to his body as he felt his own release approach.

Breathless in the afterglow of their lovemaking, Severus and Hermione simply turned onto their sides to face each other. His arm was around her waist, keeping her against him. Hermione's hands were tracing small circles across his chest. "This year would have been so much better if every morning started out like that," Severus commented gruffly. Hermione giggled softly. "However, I must go to my own chambers to change into fresh clothing."

Before Hermione could protest, Severus got up and dressed quickly. He pressed a gentle kiss to Hermione's forehead before sweeping out of the room. Hermione smiled slightly and slipped out of her warm bed.

After taking a quick shower, Hermione dressed herself in a pair of blue jeans and a pale pink shirt. A knock at the door drew Hermione's attention, and she turned in time to see Ginny pop her head inside the door. "All alone?" Ginny asked slyly.

"Severus had to go change his clothes," Hermione replied casually.

"Right," Ginny said with a smirk. "Well, I'm going to go get Harry and Ron. We'll all walk down to the Great Hall together."

"That sounds great Gin," Hermione said with a smile. With a quick wave, Ginny stepped back and closed the door.

Hermione turned back to her mirror and gazed critically at her reflection. She pulled her thick hair into a loose ponytail, tugging at a few strands to allow a few wispy curls to hang about her face. She smiled in satisfaction.

A rich, velvety voice behind her made her jump. "I never suspected that you were one to bother with your looks," Severus said silkily. Hermione opened her mouth to retort but Severus cut her off. "You don't need to," he said with a smirk.

"Don't need to what?" she asked.

"Bother with your looks," he said folding his arms. Before Hermione could thank him or even blush, he added, "Your incessant chatter prevents people from ever noticing what you look like anyway."

Hermione's mouth dropped open in indignation, making Severus chuckle. Hermione's scowl faded a bit. "Overgrown dungeon bat," she muttered, turning away from him with a smirk.

"Gryffindor brat," he returned sleekly.

She turned to face him stubbornly. "Arrogant bastard," she retorted, although a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as Severus stepped closer.

"Insufferable know-it-all," he grumbled slipping his arms around her slim waist and pulling her closer. "Silly witch," he murmured softly. Before she could respond, he captured her lips in a sweet kiss.

A sharp intake of breath and a loud pronouncement of "Oh gross!" made the couple pull away from one another and look around. Harry, Ron and Ginny were standing in the doorway. Ginny had her hands clasped firmly over her mouth to prevent her laughter. Harry looked as if he wasn't sure if he should be amused or disgusted. Ron had his lips pressed together and looked horrified.

"Did you want something, or is it your intention to gape at us like idiots all morning?" Severus snarled impatiently.

Harry and Ron turned to glare at Ginny. Ginny frowned. "I'm sorry Hermione," she said guiltily. "I didn't know Professor Snape would be here."

Hermione laughed nervously, casting a glance at Severus. "Just go down to breakfast," she said hastily. "I'll meet you in the Great Hall in a moment."

Ginny nodded and proceeded to shove Ron out of the room. She tugged at Harry's sleeve and scowled in frustration when he didn't move. He was staring at Hermione and Severus and shaking his head. "No amount of therapy will ever make that moment acceptable," Harry remarked ruefully. Ginny snorted with laughter and then pulled Harry from the room, casting an amused look at Hermione.

Hermione giggled softly. "Dunderheads," Severus muttered.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said softly. "She came in after you left saying that Harry and Ron wanted all of us to walk to breakfast together. She didn't mean to walk in on that."

Severus rolled his eyes, but leaned forward to kiss her lips. "Shall we?" he said opening the door for her. Hermione smiled and went through the door.

Sitting at the Gryffindor table next to Ginny, Hermione smiled apprehensively at Ron and Harry. Harry raised one eyebrow at her and then said, "Well, I assume you're having a good morning." He chuckled when Hermione blushed. "I really wished that we had knocked," he muttered shooting Ginny an accusing glare. Ginny just grinned at him, unabashedly.

"Well, it's all over," Ron said hastily, glad to lead the conversation away from the subject of Hermione and Professor Snape. "We've finished with our time at Hogwarts. That is, except for Hermione. She's the nutter that's willingly sticking around longer."

"At least I'll have someone to talk to," Ginny said smiling at Hermione. "I'd like to keep an eye on Hermione and Professor Snape anyway." Harry rolled his eyes and Ron wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"To each his own," Harry muttered to Ron out of the corner of his mouth.

"I heard that," Hermione retorted, laughing. Suddenly, her smile faded. "What will we do when we can't see each other?" she asked Harry and Ron sadly. "It just won't be the same."

"Don't worry Hermione," Ron said with a smile. "It's not that easy to get rid of us. We'll come here to see you."

Harry grinned. "I talked to Dumbledore about that," he said casually.

"What?" Hermione asked looking at Harry.

"I went to Dumbledore's office last night," Harry answered with a smile. "I wanted to get permission to come and visit you. He said that I could come and see you through the Floo. Also, we're all going to headquarters," he added quietly.

"Really?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Yes," Harry responded quietly. "We'll go to the Burrow, and then on to headquarters from there. I think we may be able to join the Order now that we're out of school."

"That would be bloody fantastic," Ron said excitedly.

"Maybe for you," Ginny grumbled. "I still have another year of school."

Hermione gave Ginny's shoulder a comforting pat. "It'll be here before you know it," Hermione said gently.

"Let's get going," Harry said, standing up. "We should all enjoy our last ride on the Hogwarts Express together." He walked around the table to where Hermione and Ginny stood and draped his arms over their shoulders. He led them, with Ron following close behind, out of the Great Hall.

Hermione was surprised when she saw Severus while she was in line to board the Hogwarts Express. Harry, Ron and Ginny stepped back in an attempt to give them a bit more privacy. Hermione looked up at the Potions Master's face shyly. "What are you doing here Professor Snape?" she asked with a small smile.

Severus smirked and handed her two thick books. "I thought perhaps you would benefit from looking through these," he said a bit stiffly. Hermione glanced down at the books and then looked back up at him, raising an eyebrow. "Or perhaps I just wished to see you off," he muttered, looking slightly ruffled.

Hermione blushed with pleasure and smiled. "Thank you," she said quietly. "I think I'll be seeing you again fairly soon," she added, knowing that Severus would return to headquarters for meetings with the Order.

"Yes," he said simply. Severus gave a small polite nod and then turned on his heel and walked away in his swirling black robes.

Hermione boarded the train with her friends and they found an empty compartment together. "It's finally over," Ron said, smiling triumphantly. "We're on this bloody train for the last time." He looked over at Harry who nodded fervently.

Hermione smiled. She was finally finished with being a student. Life was about to change quite a bit. Her mind wandered back to Severus. She wasn't sure where that relationship would lead, but she felt certain that she was up for the challenge. In her heart, she knew that he was worth it.

_**"In A Different Light" **is the title of the sequel. Watch for it. Thank you for being so supportive. You're all just so great._

_**SuperMuggle: **I agree... The whole "Dark Lord wants Hermione" thing is too predictable. So, that's gonna fly right out the window in the sequel. You'll see._

_**MadAnge: **I'm not handling it very well at all. I'm a nervous wreck and my fiance and I have been fighting a lot. It's a lot of pressure. We're just ready to get it over with. He suggested the other day that we just go to the Justice of the Peace... But after spending over $800 dollars on a wedding dress, I don't think so. lol It'll be worth it in the end. Good luck with your wedding planning._

_**Paranoid Sarcasm: **I just love your reviews! The wedding is October 29th. 8 weeks to go. deep sigh I like your mixed up words. _

_**Humanity74: **Well... I wrote that based on my own experience. My hips were killing me. That's from having a rather small bone structure. I've got the rounded hips and all that, but that, umm... extra pressure caused a lot of pain afterward. Hmm... I might have to check out that site. lol_

_**ProfessorJaySnape: **Oh the sequel is going to be so much fun! Voldemort will have a new little plan... All of our favorite characters will be back. I'm still plotting out some of the details, but I'm working on chapter 1 now. I don't want to give too much away just yet._

_**Wiily:** I don't know if I should be sorry that my story was a distraction or not. lol Anyway, thanks for being such a faithful reviewer. I'd be happy to distract you anytime. :)_

_**Portkeys Miss-Mione:** I kinda like the AD/MM thing. I think they'd be cute together. Especially considering the way they are in my story. Would I personally ever write anything sexual between the two? No. I would make it obvious that they were together without all that intimate detail._

_**RangerBlack: **The review was a little depressing, but I don't mind. My thoughts are with all those people that were effected by Hurrican Katrina. I'm planning on donating some food and other things. There wasn't much "meat" in this one, but I was wrapping it up. Chapter 1 of the sequel should be better though. _

_**Akasha Ravensong: **You know I forgot about the contraceptive the first time... Silly me. I don't know how I can forget something so important. But, I added it just for you. :) _

_**FallinINlust: **I'll have to go read your story. I'm so glad you like it._

_**slytherinsess:** My alerts weren't working either! I think they're ok now though._


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